The Genocide
by ellie-kat89
Summary: While the Wizarding world is in hiding and fighting against a genocide, romance blooms between Hermione and Ron. But will they survive the war? PostHogwarts, also contains HG. PreHBP! Chapter 31 is up!
1. A Pleasant Surprise

_Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission. _

_No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and it is for entertainment purposes only._

* * *

**The Genocide**

Chapter 1: A Pleasant Surprise

by elliekat

In war you make sacrifices, plain and simple; but Hermione never thought she would be making this many. Certainly, life is always hard, especially during times of crisis and war, but often times, the victims of war and catastrophe seem to be able to get along with their lives. After all there is always hope and the promise of tomorrow; things sometimes just change in an instant, one moment you're in one situation and the next you are in another completely different. We, as a society, have precious records from these victims, through their memoirs and diaries. It is just the human way to write down our thoughts and feelings, to grieve to something that won't rebuke us, or tell us to stop complaining. Paper is an outlet.

The want to express through writing is universal. During ancient times, people would draw on cave walls as expressions of their culture, and now, in modern times, a young girl might keep a diary as a place to keep her secrets. We are no different, even a witch may have this particular want On this sleepless night Hermione Granger writes in her diary, once again as an outlet.

_My Dear Diary,_

_I've lost all of the people who have ever meant anything to me, well, in one way or another I suppose. My parents died in a Death Eater's attack in my seventh year, and I have not seen my best friends, Ron and Harry, in over two years. The rest of the Weasleys are either dead or in hiding so deeply, that I could never reach them. I know I have written about this so many times, diary, but this night it dwells heavily on my mind. _

_I miss them terribly, diary, and now, I guess that the saying, "you don't know what you have until you lose it," is true. I depended on them. I was able to vent my feelings towards them, without them ever knowing it. I miss the "what-ifs?" My life could be so different, I could be happily working at the Ministry or doing something for the good of all. Perhaps expanding SPEW? Oh, how I ramble. _

_When I was growing up, one of my favorite books was the diary of Anne Frank. Not just because of her bravery in times of darkness but because she wished with all of her heart and soul to be famous and she did, but sadly only after her death. You must think that that sounds disturbing. I suppose it is really but the story intrigues me to no end. Will someone, after my death, find this diary? _

_After my seventh year it was apparent that we were losing the war, and so in a fit of desperation, Dumbledore ordered for these underground caverns to be built. As you know, that is where I am now. The great Hermione Jane Granger is living under feet upon feet of dirt. How ironic is that?_

* * *

The place was lovely to look at, especially that time of year, as the bright summer sunshine spilled through the treetops and onto the leaf covered ground. It was a forest, a wild place where no regular mortal dared to venture. There were always strange stories about this place that passed from mouth to mouth among the locals, and because of this they never set foot into that forest, instead they kept to the road. The forest did have inhabitants though, the wild animals and birds that roamed and dug burrows as homes; there were others there as well, people who lived underground, in hiding. 

The locals had no knowledge of this and that was the way it was meant to be kept a secret, after all what is the purpose of going into hiding if it is not a well-kept secret. There were many secrets in the forest and one in particular was fascinating, a young woman, only in her twenties, living in a cavern. To many it must seem absurd, impossible to ever fathom, but it was true, she was living underground, away from the prying eyes of her enemies.

She rarely made an appearance, at least to the normal person, but mostly she looked to her cavern, not letting her self be seen, and so keeping her secret. On one early summer morning she did make an appearance, and she lifted the secret door to her cavern to call down a young boy sitting in a tree. That was also strange; why would a boy ever be sitting in a tree?

"Nick..." The woman, by name of Hermione Granger, hissed to the young boy sitting in a tree, trying to make as little noise as was humanly possible, you never know who might be hiding in the bushes.

Having caught the boy's attention, he took one quicker look around, jumped from the tree, and dropped through a hole in the ground. And just as quickly the hole disappeared. Underneath the soil, Hermione helped the young boy to his feet and dusted him off; which sadly had little affect.

"Nick, get a quick bite to eat and then go to bed," she whispered, giving the boy a pat on the behind.

The boy nodded his dirty head and went to where his bread and cheese was waiting. He ate the meager meal quickly and then hurried off through an opening in the dirt wall. Hermione sighed and went back to stirring the thick, goopy oatmeal she had been preparing. She took the food off of the smokeless fire, and with her wand she distributed the ten bowls across the table. Then with a wooden ladle, she scooped the oatmeal into the bowls. Placing a warming spell on the food she went to wake her other charges.

Taking a single candle, she walked quietly through the small opening, which served as a doorway, even though it was little more than a hole. There were then three other doorways leading from the one. She entered the one on the far left and woke all of the boys, except Nick, who was already fast asleep. With sleepy eyes they rose from their small beds and changed into their day clothes as Hermione walked from that room and went into the next one. In this room there were four girls. She woke them from their slumber as well. Walking back to the kitchen Hermione already found the four boys waiting at their seats. The girls filed in moments later and took their own seats. Hermione then lifted her own spoon and dipped it into the gray, sad looking oatmeal. As soon as Hermione had lifted her spoon the eight children picked up theirs and started to chatter. Over the simultaneous chatter, Hermione felt someone tug on her sleeve.

"Ms. Hermione?" said the six-year-old witch by her side.

The young witch was a cute little strawberry blond, with a dusting of freckles across her narrow nose and cheeks. But as the rest of them she was too pale, unlike regular children who frolicked and played.

"Yes, Lizzy?" Hermione replied smiling down at the young girl's face.

"Whatza lesson for today?" the girl asked, who was apparently named Lizzy.

"It's, '_what is the,'_ Lizzy, and today's lesson will be English," Hermione answered.

"Yes, Ms. Hermione," the girl replied.

That is the way life and it had been that way for the past four years. It had all been Albus Dumbledore's idea, he had suggested that the members of the wizarding world, the ones that had not been corrupted by the evil wizard, Voldemort, go into hiding. But the kind old wise man died just before they got to go underground, and the world was thrown into even more turmoil. Going into hiding had been necessary, as a way to buy time, so to speak. The war between the good wizards and the bad wizards had not been going well and that is why the original plan was put into motion.

At first they, (they being Hermione and her friends), did not go strait underground, instead they spent a year in hiding, by use of magic, in an old house in the British countryside. When that year ended they moved into an underground cavern. In the cavern she lived with an the Order of the Phoenix, whose purpose was to defeat Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and with her two best friends, Ron and Harry. She had known the two since she was twelve and she loved them both dearly. It was hard at first, living underground, but they soon got used to it, but again her young life would be jerked around.

Because of the war there were many orphans and without parents they were often times alone and unprotected. So a project was started called The Home Mission; the task that the project presented was clear, gather those children and give them a home, except it wasn't that easy, the good side was facing genocide, an extinction of an entire people. So they needed people to teach and to take care of these children, Hermione volunteered.

Ron and Harry were against her volunteering right from the start, but she told herself and them that it was only for one year, it wasn't that long of a time; sadly though one year turned into three. She only heard from the outside world every three months when a messenger would bring them supplies and news.

Life went by though, the days past, and each day was the same as the last.

Unknown to Hermione her life was about to change again, but this time for the better. It ended the ceaseless sameness that had plagued her. It all started at night, on a Wednesday. The time was about midnight and Hermione had just drifted off for the night when she was suddenly awakened by one of the children.

"Ms., Ms.!" Hermione was jerked awake by one of the boy's frantic whispering and shaking.

"Bryant what's the matter?" Hermione asked, eyes wide with fright as she shrugged off the heavy covers of the bed and sat up.

The boy gasped for air and continued, "someone's coming Ms. Hermione!"

Hermione gasped in terror.

"Bryant, gather everyone, there is a box in your room, move it aside, and crawl through the hole. Do not come out until I tell you to. Is that clear?"

"Yes," the boy whispered, tears in his eyes.

"Go!"

Hermione grabbed her wand and ran from the storage room; she looked around frantically expecting a Death Eater to suddenly jump out of the shadows and attack her. She then entered the main room, knelt behind the table, and waited. The first sign that someone was, in fact, outside was when a bit of dirt fell from between the wooden beams of the ceiling. Hermione gasped as the clog of dirt fell from the ceiling with a great thump. She stayed where she was, her wand ready to curse the first person to climb down the ladder. Then, suddenly, the spot just below the ladder flooded with moonlight.

Hermione tightened her hold on the wand in her hand and watched as feet appeared from the opening. She waited a few moments until most of the Death Eater's body was showing and then stood to her feet.

"Stupefy!" Hermione yelled, aiming the curse at the intruder.

The curse hit him square in the back and the man fell from the ladder and hit the floor with a load thud. Hermione darted forward and turned the cloaked man over. Her eyes widened in shock and amazement.

"Bill!"

After getting over her shock, Hermione revived the oldest Weasley. Judging by the wounds on his face, Hermione guessed that he had faced many obstacles before he had reached her cavern.

"Hermione, I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you!" Bill stated, after Hermione had revived him.

She helped him to the table (he had a bad limp and he looked exhausted) and pulled out a chair so that he could take a seat.

"Next time, make yourself known before you climb down the ladder," Hermione advised irritably. "What happened to you anyways?" Hermione questioned, pointing at the cuts and the bruises on his face.

"Oh, that, I ran into a giant on the way here," Bill explained flatly.

"A GIANT! I didn't know that there was any around this area," Hermione exclaimed in alarm, as she walked to the cupboard and took out a blue potion.

"Oh, he was just passing through I'm sure, no need to worry."

Hermione eyed him for a moment before she grabbed a clean rag and sat down in a chair next to him. She pored a bit of the potion on the rag and started to clean Bill's cuts. He winced from the stinging.

"What are you doing here? I'm not expecting a visit for another month or so," Hermione asked.

"There's been a change of plans Hermione," Bill answered.

"What change in plans? Is something wrong?" Hermione blurted out, straitening to look at him fully.

"Oh, nothing like that. The direction of the War is starting to change Hermione; it's been hard work but we are finally starting to get a firm grip on the situation. There is a brand new cavern not far from here, that's where we will be moving you and the children you take care of."

Hermione looked at Bill in shock once again.

"We will be leaving here?" Hermione asked, awe in her voice.

"Yes, as soon as you're ready to go; all of the little orphanages that still exist around this area will be going there as well," Bill confirmed.

"How largre is the cavern?" Hermione asked, wondering how it could possible hold so many children.

"Well, it's not actually done yet, but when it is we think it will be just under 50,000 square feet."

Hermione's jaw nearly fell to the dirt floor, "50,000!"

"It's the biggest one yet; the second biggest, if I remember correctly, is about 25,500 square feet," Bill replied.

"What else is going to, you know, go on there?"

"The children will be taught the basics; all the magic that we can teach them and the normal reading, writing, and arithmetic. It will also be the diplomatic headquarters."

"Diplomatic headquarters?" Hermione echoed.

"Yeah that is what I have been doing for the past two years. I've been over in South America, mostly in Brazil, but also in Argentina and Chile, trying to get their support and help," Bill said, suddenly reaching down into his muggle backpack and withdrawing a piece of parchment.

"I almost forgot to give you this; it's an official notice asking you to report to c-34," Bill said, handing the folded parchment to her.

Hermione opened it hurriedly.

_Dear Ms. Hermione Jane Granger,_

_We request that you report to cavern 34 no later than the 29th of June. This invitation also extends to your young charges as well._

_Yours Sincerely, _

_Taryn Hendricks, Head of c-22, EUAG, and THM.  
Daphne Greengrass, co-head of THM  
James Brown, head of c-6  
Ronald Weasley, head of c-34_

"Ron is the head of Cavern 34?" Hermione remarked, stopping at her best friend's name

"Yeah, how he managed that I don't know."

Realizing how tired Bill must really have been to come down the ladder with out making it known who he was, she decided that she really ought to make him something to eat.

"You must be hungry," Hermione announced as she rose from her chair.

"Yeah I'm actually kind of starving."

After pouring a bit of leftover soup into a pan, Hermione went to get the children, she had almost forgotten about them. She pushed aside the rather large, heavy box that was blocking the entrance to a small room.

"Okay kids you can come out now, everything is safe," Hermione called into the blackness.

Almost instantly a head and torso of one of the children popped out of the hole. After Hermione helped the girl to her feet, she then bent down and helped the rest of the children out of the hole and to their feet. She dusted them off and hustled them into the main room where the long table was. The children stopped abruptly when they saw Bill, who was a stranger to them, sitting at the table.

"Everyone this is Mr. Weasley, he's a good friend of mine, say hello," Hermione prompted

"Hello," the children all greeted in unison.

"Hello," Bill answered, with a kind smile and a nod of his head.

They all looked at him curiously as they took their seats. Hermione dished up the leftover soup for Bill and gave each of the children a biscuit and a little bit of butter.

"Bill how are we getting to C-34?" Hermione inquired.

Bill swallowed and spoke, "we'll go in two or three groups. The first group will go first, then I will come back for the second group, and then the third, if needed."

"But is that safe? Walking there, I mean."

"Yes, it's quite safe. I've got scouts posted throughout the area," Bill assured her.

Hermione then spoke, "when will we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready to go."

"We can all be ready to leave by tomorrow, at sunrise," Hermione answered.

"That's good," Bill said.

"Okay children I think it would be a good idea for all of you to go back to bed, we'll have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Hermione announced.

The children nodded, rose from their seats, and murmured goodnights to both Hermione and Bill.

* * *

**Well, what did you think? Love it, hate it, need's work, intrigued? Please tell me by reviewing, but please no flames, instead I would appreciate some constructive criticism. Thank you all for reading!**

**Thank's to my beta _fanfictionsissy _for all the help ;). **


	2. Arrival

Disclaimer:

The Characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.

No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note: Thank you to my reviewers and of course my beta, fanfictionsissy. I hope all who read this enjoy this chapter and please review. **

**  
Chapter 2: Arrival**

A few hours after Bill and Hermione had finished their conversation and he had gone to sleep in a corner in the main room, Hermione could be found in her bed, staring up at the dirt ceiling. She was pondering the turn of events that had just befallen her. In just a few short minutes, quite literally, her life had once again been turned upside down. It was truly amazing to her, how a life could change in just a blink of an eye. She could never imagine that there was even a small possibility that she might be able to leave. Hermione was completely overjoyed, but she did not want to except that the real reason why she was so happy was because she would soon be seeing Ron.

When she had been younger she had entertained the thought of a romance between her and Ron, but things had always gotten in the way: their stubbornness, the threat of a ruined friendship, and then the War. She had always postponed the deepening of their friendship and had always thought that she had all the time in the world to express her feelings; oh, how she had taken things for granted back then.

_  
Almost five years previously…_

Hermione was sitting at her desk, books and papers strewn about in a an unorganized heap, which was not like Hermione at all, but that night had been different. She felt out of sorts and anxious and she had a right to, the next day could be the day that all could be lost. As she was sorting through many books, trying to find a spell she had read about once, there came a knock at her door. She was so startled that she nearly jumped out of her own skin.

"Wh- who is it?"

"It's me. Can I come in?" came Ron's voice.

Her heart calming, Hermione took a deep breath and rose from her chair. She walked past her bed and then to the large door that read "Head Girl" on the front, and then with one more calming breath, she opened the door. Standing there, was Ron. He was younger, his hair was lighter, and his build smaller. But he was still her same handsome Ron.

"Ron it's late, what are you doing up?" Hermione asked, wondering what he could possibly doing at her door that time of night.

"I could ask you the same thing. So can I come in or not?" Ron asked with a cocky grin.

"Um… Sure come in," Hermione urged.

Hermione bit her lip and stepped out of the way to let him in. She looked down at herself and blushed; she was only in her dressing gown and her fuzzy slippers, not exactly the best attire in the world. She waited for him to say something, but he didn't, instead he just stood and a heavy awkwardness settled over them. But then he cleared his throat and spoke.

"Er… Are you worried about tomorrow?"

Hermione was speechless at his stupid question.

"Of course I'm worried about tomorrow, who isn't?" Hermione replied. "Ron what exactly is this about?"

Ron chuckled nervously and turned bright red. He looked a bit like a muggle fire engine.

"I er… wanted to give you this," he said, handing her a thick envelope, "and this."

And with that he quickly kissed her lips, the kiss was hesitant and short, but in one simple, rather innocent kiss, they entered a whole different world. When Ron pulled away from her, he didn't say a thing and neither did she. What could they say?

"Ron… What?"

But he hushed her. "Hermione when all of this is over, we'll talk."

Then he left and the next day there was a battle like no one had ever seen. Everyone, Hermione included, expected the battle to have two possible outcomes, either Harry won or lost. They were wrong though, there was no outcome, Harry survived but Voldemort did too. After that things became so hectic that they ended up in the situation that they are in now, in hiding. Things were so hectic in fact, that they never had that talk, nor did they ever speak of that night again.

It was only after the battle did Hermione remember the envelope that Ron had given her before the kiss, and inside she did not find a letter or a piece of paper, instead she found an amulet; a protection amulet. She had read about them many times, they were an old wizard folklore. Many still believed that when you braided leaves of the dittany plant and then wrapped the braid in hagweed, that the person that received it would have protection from all sorts of things: diseases, bad luck, evil spirits, or in their case, Death Eaters. It would be born from the blood that would be shed because the hagweed plant had sharp thorns and a lot of them. Hermione still had it in fact, even though she did not believe in the old folklore, buried deep inside her trunk where it would not be lost or hurt in anyway.

Hermione sighed and turned over in her small, uncomfortable cot, trying to sleep for the long and tiring day ahead. Just as she was about to go into a restless slumber, a stray thought ran across her mind, _I wonder if he looks different…_

* * *

Just five miles away, Ronald Weasley could be found, sitting at his desk, and reading through a report. He looked rather bored and tired, with his chin resting in his hand as he squinted at the small lettering on the report. Ron sighed and took out an old, worn quill and started to scratch notes on a separate piece of paper and then there was a sharp knock on the door. Ron was so startled that his quill jumped in his hand and a large, black ink spot appeared on the parchment. Ron cursed aloud and tried to blot up the mess, unfortunately it only made it worse. 

"Come in, come in whoever you are!" Ron answered harshly.

The person behind the door complied and stepped into the room. The man was of considerable build, black, and with a long scar that adorned his face, the scar ran from his hair line and then ended at his chin.

"Zaid, what do you want?' Ron asked, without looking up.

Instead of replying, the big black man sat himself heavily into a chair (which creaked heavily as he did so) across from the fiery redhead. Then he boldly propped his mud covered boots up onto Ron's desk and then commenced to spit a vast amount of tobacco infested saliva onto the floor. Ron wrinkled his nose in disgust and finally looked up at his guest.

"I really don't appreciate that you arse. Well, what do you want?"

"You know what Weasley, you need to learn to control your temper, I could hear you cussin' all the way down the hall," Zaid slurred slightly.

"Are you drunk?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Naw, boss I just had a couple drinks with the boys, I ain't drunk," he slurred again.

"What do you want Zaid? I'm not going to ask you again," Ron growled impatiently.

"I was getting to that, you impatient bugger," Zaid said as he wrestled something out of his filthy coat.

After a few moments he finally pulled a badly crumpled envelope out of his pocket and then threw it on Ron's desk. Ron frowned and picked up the stained and wrinkled envelope, it had obviously been in Zaid's possession for quite some time.

"Zaid, exactly how long have you had this?"

"Aw boss, I don't know. How am I supposed to keep track of everything?" Zaid confessed.

Ron groaned inwardly.

"Get your sorry, drunken arse, out of my site," Ron ordered through clenched teeth.

"But boss, I ain't dr-," Zaid started to say but was cut off.

"And if I ever catch you drunk on duty again, there will be serious consequences. OUT!" Ron ordered again, standing up this time. Zaid huffed and finally left, muttering dumb arse under his breath.

Ron watched him go and then sat back down, taking his wand from his trouser pocket and placing a freshening charm on the room. Then he cleaned up the stinky mess that Zaid had left behind. Once done, Ron finally took the envelope and read his name on the front, vaguely recognizing the handwriting. Ron opened it and took out the letter and glanced at the date. Ron snorted as he realized that the letter had to have been at least two months old. _How long has Zaid had this letter? _Ron thought as he began to read.

After finishing the letter Ron sat there shocked for a moment. The letter was from Bill, quite short, and had been written with great haste. But the letter was quite clear, Bill would be arriving with Hermione and about ten children soon.

* * *

That morning Hermione rose early and immediately started to pack. It didn't seem real to her that she would soon be leaving. As she was pulling an old trunk out from a corner, Hermione stopped and looked around in awe. It still hadn't quite hit her yet that she would be leaving; she had tried for three long years to keep her chin up, to remind herself that it was not always going to be like this. 

Hermione came out of her daze and went back to her work She pulled the large trunk to the center of the room and unlatched the heavy lid; it opened with a loud squeak. At the bottom were several wrapped packages, old clothes that she had stashed away for later use. All but one was wrapped in white tissue paper, the other was wrapped in light blue. She pulled the unique package out carefully and held it in her arms. She knew immediately what it was. Hermione thoughtfuly unwrapped it and revealed what was inside, a long flowing gown. The gown was blue and sparkled with sliverish inlays; it was the nicest thing she had ever owned.

Hermione's thoughts immediately went to the only time she had ever worn the beaughtifull

garment. It seemed so long ago, the age of seventeen. It had been the only Halloween Ball that ever took place in the seven years she was at Hogwarts. Hermione shook her head and rewrapped the gown, setting it carefully back into the trunk, and with that Hermione continued her packing.

A half an hour later she was finally done with her task. She then shrunk the trunk and put it an old bag that she had. She did this many times to the various trunks; Hermione packed them, shrunk them, and put the miniature versions away. After her entire job was done, Hermione changed and crept out to the main room. Hermione found Bill already up and writing on a crumpled piece of parchment.

"Good morning," Hermione greeted as she went to the small kitchen area and turned on the stove.

"Good morning to you too," Bill returned.

"What are you writing?" Hermione asked as she began to make the costomary breakfast.

Bill looked uo and then answered, "it's a quick message to the people at C-34, telling them of my expected arrival."

Bill returned to his writing and Hermione returned to breakfast. A few minutes later Bill was done with his letter. He put down his quill, then carefully folded it, took his wand, and with a few choice words and a flicking motion the letter was gone.

"Bill, how are we going to get there exactly?"

Bill leaned back and sighed, rubbing his tired eyes.

"I've been thinking about that, I thought I would take the oldest children first, and then I would come back for you and the youngest that night; we would then leave the next morning," said Bill.

The rest of that morning went like clockwork, breakfast was eaten, things gathered, and soon after that Bill left with the four oldest children. Hermione didn't know what to do with her hands the rest of that day. But much to Hermione's relief, Bill was back that night, just like he said he would be.

* * *

"Okay everybody ready?" 

They all nodded their heads.

Hermione took a deep, calming breath as Bill told them what to do.

"When I say down, you get down. If something happens, take cover immediately," Bill advised, or ordered, which ever you look at it. "Does everybody get that?"

They nodded once again. Hermione tried to steady her raging nerves, but to no avail she could not. It was just not possible, she was too nervous about getting caught. It also didn't help that she already felt dead tired, the lack of activity over the last three years had weakened her muscles and bones. Also she was carring a rather heavy load, a pack on her back with clothes and anything she was taking with her, and a three year old as well.

"And only talk when absolutely necessary."

So with those final words they began to walk, but to Hermione's great relief they met no real mishap along the way, except for a few wild vermin. They met absolutely no one, until they were just a mile from their destination. The middle-aged man introduced himself as Harlen, he was obviously a friend of Bill's, who, much to Hermione's elation, had come to give them a ride in his farm cart.

"Oh, thank you so much Mr. Harlen!" Hermione expressed her thanks, overjoyed.

"Its just Harlen, ma'am, and your welcome; it was the least I could do," Harlen corrected, tipping his weather beaten hat to her as he did so.

So with Hermione's aching feet off the ground and the children already beginning to snooze, they began to jossle their way through the last mile. Harlen's cart looked like it could be from the mid-19th century at least and sqeaked horribly as the lone horse pulled it across the little used unpaved road, but Hermione was glad all the same.

It seemed to Hermione that they were only on the main road a few minutes before the cart came to a jaring stop.

Bill leaned over to her and whispered _'we're here' _into her ear. Hermione winced as Bill helped her down, she was extraordinarily sore and stiff and could barely make her joints work. After making sure she would not fall over when she set her feet on the ground, Hermione finally looked around at her surroundings. There was no outside markings of any kind that there was actualy an underground world under them, all there was a gently sloping hill and many trees. Hermione just couldn't believe it, she couldn't believe it at all. _But they were finally there…_

**Please review!**


	3. Not Strictly Platonic

Disclaimer: The Characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.

No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and is for entertainment purposes only.

**  
Chapter 3: Not Strictly Platonic **

…_When you look long into an abyss the abyss also looks into you._

_-Friedrich Nietzsche_

Screams. Laughter. Great bangs and thuds, more screams, and then after the heart clenching screams came the laughter. Cruel cackling laughter, the kind of laughter that had plagued Harry's dreams for years. He never saw these people, instead he was always drowning, sinking deeper and deeper into a great abyss of black water. There were never any faces, just that great expanse of water that went on and on as far as the eye could see. Just as he was about to die, Harry woke, just as he always did.

Harry kept his eyes closed and did not move, in fact he barely breathed as he focused on the steady breathing of the person sleeping beside him. When his racing heart calmed, Harry swung his feet over the edge of the bed and as quietly as possible he began to search for his wand in the total darkness (there was no windows to let in the early morning sunlight). Once he had found his wand under the bed, which had been tossed there carelessly last night, Harry began to light the candles that usually lit the room. Before he could reach the first one though, searing pain went up his toe and then into his foot as he stubbed it on the bed. Mumbling curses, Harry limped to the closest candle and lit it, blindly.

"What are you doing?" a whispered voice asked as the small cramped room flared with light.

Harry jumped slightly and turned around to face his redheaded lover. Ginny Weasley was no longer little, nor was she young, instead she had turned into a woman. Harry of course had noticed this; living in such close proximity to her had made it impossible to resist the temptation. It also didn't help that by seventeen Harry had been having rather _inappropriate _dreams about his best mate's little sister. As Harry's mind came back to him, Harry let his eyes flicker down to where the blanket covered her bare chest. His mind immediately started to contemplate all the things they could do in the short amount of time that they had. Harry's eyes then moved back up, he took in the grace of her curved neck, her red, full lips, and then to her light brown eyes with speckles of bright green, which he noticed were twinkling with amusement.

"Like something you see Potter?" Ginny asked evilly, smirking.

"Oh yeah," Harry groaned, as he began to approach her, but she, of course, had other ideas.

"Sorry not enough time for that," Ginny said hastily, throwing on her clothes in record speed.

"That's not fair Ginny!"

"Bye Harry," Ginny grinned cheekily, blowing him a kiss and giving him a wink as she tip toed out the door.

"_What is she trying to do, kill me?" _Harry thought exasperatedly, throwing up his hands, and with that he too started to get dressed.

Harry wasn't exactly sure how he and Ginny happened. He supposed it had something to do with the fact that they saw each other every day; or the fact that she was the one that stuck with him, through his good and bad moods (the latter being more common).

It had all started almost a year ago; Harry remembered it perfectly, it had been a week since they had gotten word that Fred Weasley had been missing for nearly a month. Believe me when I tell you that Harry had not meant for it to happen, it had been quite a shock when Ginny had come into his room late at night and asked for comfort. Oh sure, Harry had dreamed about it enough, fantasized even, but that was something he had never expected to happen. Then after that initial first night, a time of awkwardness followed; but which was rather abruptly ended by Ginny's blunt statement that she was not looking for a serious relationship and that if he dare even think the "L" word, she would scratch his eyes out. Harry had of course readily agreed and so things had gone that way for the past year.

They did have to keep their relationship a secret, but surprisingly it wasn't that hard. Harry shivered to think what it would be like if any of the Weasleys got wind of it. Mrs. Weasley would probably start planning a wedding, Mr. Weasley would do the whole "what are your intensions" thing, and the rest of the Weasleys would probably kick his arse.

It always hurt Harry when he thought of the red headed family that had been so good to him. They had faced so much pain and had faced so much danger and in certain instances death. Sadly not all of the Weasleys had made it during the war. Percy had died protecting the ones he loved most, his family. Charlie had been mortally wounded by a vampire, and Fred was still missing and assumed dead.

George had been even more distraught then the rest of the Weasley clan at the news of Fred's disappearance. Fred and George, of course, were twins and always had the uncanny ability of reading each other's minds. The relationship that the two pranksters had shared had always made Harry envious and fascinated. Harry could never read people that way and he had never been so close to another person. Ron was like a brother to him, and Hermione a sister, but it still it wasn't the same.

The only reason he was still sane was because of Ginny. Never being able to see the glorious rays of the sun and to breathe fresh air could easily make a person go mad. Harry had kept his mind intact though; he kept himself busy, updated on the progress of the war, and Ginny made sure he didn't go into a complete slump.

Part of Harry wished that everything would just end. He just wanted the war over with, no matter what the outcome. He knew it sounded selfish, after all other people were living just like him; in the dirt. But Harry felt that he had it worse. It was his job, his destiny to win the war... Or lose it; one or the other. He was sick and tired of hiding; of "buying time" which had been Dumbledore's plan. Harry hated waking up to the same darkness every morning, he hated the brown dirt walls. He hated even more though, being under lock and key. Harry was not allowed to run his own life, but of course he had never been able to have that small luxury.

The cavern that housed the-boy-who-lived was split into three parts: Harry and the Order's space, the Weasley's, and then just one large room that was used for storage (food, supplies, etc.). Each space had no door to the other space; instead you had to say a password to get into the next space. This was a safety measure that had been put in place by the Order of the Phoenix. Their idea was that if Death Eaters were to find one space, they would not know that the other was there.

Harry spent most of his time with the Weasleys, not only was the kitchen there, but also the general living area. While you would think that Harry's life would be utterly depressing and boring, he did manage to fill his days; there was the tons of books that had been stashed away at Mrs. Weasley's insistence. Harry had secretly felt that this was a stupid idea at first, but had since then changed his mind. Many of the books were definitely not books you would find in the Hogwarts Library. Instead they were all fascinating and from them he had learned a great deal. Harry was quite amused to think what Ron would say if he found out that he had turned into Hermione.

* * *

It was a week after Harry had woken up from his nightmare and it had now become a recurring dream; one that he had every night since then. It had begun to bother Harry, but he did not tell Ginny about it. Not only was it hard to explain what the actual dream was about, but he didn't think she would quite understand the horror of it. So that is why Harry was seeking the answer in one of the many books that he had still not read. 

"Harry are you in here?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she poked her head around the corner.

The raven-haired man jerked his head up and quickly tried to hide the book he had been reading, he knew it would be suspicious if they found him looking in a divination book.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh there you are! I was beginning to worry," she sighed in relief, "dinner will be ready in an hour. Make sure you're not late," Molly added, as she turned away and headed back down the hallway.

The war, and especially Charlie's death, had changed Mrs. Weasley; it wasn't a sharp change in attitude, nor had she changed as a person, but she had begun to worry a great deal. She had to know where they all where, and if one of them was gone for a longer period of time than what was normal, she began to panic. Harry understood, but it was hard to get used to being in contact with the same people everyday; being worried over all the time could get a bit stressing.

Harry sighed and pulled the book back out. It hadn't been any help at all. The only thing it had done was make him more frustrated and agitated, and not to mention confused. The dream was always the same; he would be helpless as he was drowning and while he was sinking into the water he would hear terrible screams and cackling laughter.

Shaking his head, Harry stood up from the rickety desk and carefully tucked the book, titled, _"Dream Telling, A Divination Guide"_, under his arm, so that it was hidden under his robe.

He then headed back toward his room. He turned to the left and walked a short ways before he suddenly stopped. Harry turned so that he was facing the dirt wall; he ran one long, thin finger down the wall, whispering '_rubber ducky' _(Mr. Weasley's idea). Almost immediately the wall began to pull apart where his finger had trailed done it; a few moments later there was a doorway large enough to walk through.

After he had squeezed through the doorway he had created, it was only a few short steps to his room. He moved like lightning as he quickly shoved the book under his bed; making sure it could not be seen from all angles, Harry began his long march to the kitchen. While their cavern was not as large as some, there was many twisting passageways and secret entrances; also security measures put in place by the Order. And it just happened that the walk from Harry's room to the kitchens was the longest.

When he finally arrived at the kitchen he was greeted by the same old, same old. The kitchen was just large enough to make the three daily meals, and in the center was a rectangular table, barely large enough to fit them all.

"Oh Harry dear, please sit down," Mrs. Weasley said as she ushered him into his customary seat beside Ginny and across from George.

He sat himself down and began to wait, not so patiently, for Mrs. Weasley to begin dishing out the food. As Harry waited he began to examine the faces at the table. Only the most important members of the Order of the Phoenix made their home at the cavern: Remus, McGonagall, the Weasley's, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, Aberforth Dumbledore, and Emmiline Vance. When he his eyes came to Mr. Weasley's face he was surprised to see that his ears were flaming their trademark Weasley red. Immediately a sense of foreboding seemed to wash over him in a wave.

"Um… Harry my lad, I just got some rather disheartening news," Mr. Weasley paused for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck, "our intelligence people just alerted me that death eaters might be heading to this area," he said this part very fast.

Harry stared at the older man for a moment and was aware that Mrs. Weasley was now dishing a kind of casserole onto his plate. As Harry continued to stare at him Mr. Weasley flinched under his piercing gaze.

"I know that you didn't want to hear that Harry, but I think it would be in everyone's best interest if we left as soon as possible," Remus spoke up.

"Leaving is going to get us caught anyway," Tonks mumbled.

"Nymphadora," Remus debated through clenched teeth, "we have already talked about this and we all agreed that it was the right thing to do."

"No, we yelled back and forth about which was the best way to make sure we didn't all die! I'm so sick of it all!" Tonks yelled.

"Come on don't do this at the table," Mr. Weasley said gently, trying his best to divert an argument.

But sadly they ignored Mr. Weasley and continued to fight. It was common knowledge throughout the cavern that Tonks and Remus were quite a bit closer than friends, but for the sake of them all they pretended that they didn't know. Harry was bewildered; he had never seen either of them yell before. Both Tonks and Remus were laid back people who didn't have explosive tempers.

Harry came back to the present when he felt someone tap his shoulder sharply; Harry turned around and saw George with the dish of casserole.

"Help me," the Weasley whispered.

Harry nodded and turned back around and realized for the first time that Mrs. Weasley was crying and shaking in her once vacant seat. Harry felt his stomach sink even more as he realized that something was very wrong. Assured that Ginny was now comforting her mother, Harry turned back to George and began to help him finish putting food on the table.

While George continued to dish up the food Harry began to take out a number of glasses and pour water into them. When he was about done George came back after dishing up all the food, Harry noticed that he looked abnormally tense.

"George, what's going on?" Harry whispered, leaning toward him a bit to make sure nobody else heard him.

George sighed and ever so slightly drooped his head.

"Remus got a message this morning from one of his intelligence people. A group of travelers came across a deserted Death eater's camp; they've found Fred," George whispered back, sounding utterly defeated.

"And I guess Remus and Tonks are just on edge," he added as an afterthought.

Harry nodded mutely. Fred had been missing for a long time, and it wasn't all that surprising, but it still felt like a sledgehammer had hit him in the gut. Sighing heavily Harry added one more name to his mental list of people who had died too young, too soon.

Realizing that the yelling had ceased, Harry took two of the chipped glasses in his hands and the rest he levitated to the table. Tonks, Harry noticed, had left the room but Remus was still at the table looking rather ashen.

The meal that took place that night was stressed and tension was thick in the air. Thankfully Ginny had calmed her mother enough to where she was no longer crying, but the look in her eyes made Harry's heart ache. As soon as Remus was done eating he immediately excused himself from the table and spent the rest of that night in his room. In fact most of them left the table almost right after they finished, their appetites having completely vanished.

Harry had trouble sleeping that night, his mind was racing a mile a minute; mulling over Fred's now confirmed death. Harry was still holding on to the hope that Ginny would come to his room and spend the night, but she had yet to show up. Harry was just beginning to drift off into an uneasy sleep when he heard the creak of his door as it was opened. Immediately awake, Harry listened closely to the footsteps of Ginny as she went over to his narrow bed and lay down, snuggling close to him. Harry grasped her hand tightly as she encircled him, letting her hand rest on his stomach.

* * *

**Well, everybody you got your first taste of the Harry and Ginny side of things. I know this is confusing but I planned it that way and quite a few things will be cleared up in chapters 4, 5, and 6. Also, I will probably be updating once a week, usually on Monday. If you have any questions or suggestions please tell me by reviewing.**

**The next chapter will be getting back to the Hermione story and will also have good doses of Ron.**

**I have decided to give you a short teaser of a new, important character and some Ron-Hermione action. ;) Hope you enjoy. _(Warning: the teaser is not betaed)._**

**_Short Teaser:_**

_Ron, who looked about ready to explode, blushed an appealing shade of scarlet. Why, in all hell did she have to be so forward? It would be a miracle if he didn't suddenly burst into flames right then and there. But he couldn't help the small flicker of anger that he felt, no such words should be words when talking about Hermione. Shag and love where perfectly acceptable but the rest…_

_"N-no of course not. We were nothing but friends," Ron stuttered, he just couldn't help thinking what it would be like to love Hermione the way he wished he could._

_"I don't think you listened close enough to me Ron, I also said love, and love can in fact include sex or not," Andrea told him, winking at him as she did so. She was enjoying this far too much._

**Please review!**

**Thank you once again to my reviewers and my beta_ fanfictionsissy._**


	4. Make Yourself at Home

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.

No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and it is for entertainment purposes only.

_  
A/N: Sorry for the slight delay for this chapter. My beta couldn't get on the computer, and when I tried to post it this morning it wouldn't work. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. This chapter gave me trouble and I went in a different direction then I had originally planned. So I hope it's okay._

_Thanks to my beta, fanficionsissy!_

**  
Chapter 4: Make Yourself at Home**

Hermione examined her new room in awe. While it wasn't very big, it did have everything she might need. A comfortable enough looking bed, a small desk and a chair, and various pegs and stands where she could hang clothes and such.

She had only been at the cavern for just over 36 hours, but already she felt like a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Cavern 34 was even bigger than Hermione had expected; there was many different corridors and wings, and already she had gotten lost several times.

She had only seen Ron the one time as her, the children, and Bill where checked and then double checked to make sure they weren't really Death Eaters in disguise. It was rather odd for Hermione to see Ron in such an important position; it didn't really shock her but instead she felt proud. Hermione hadn't really gotten to talk to Ron but they had exchanged greetings, long time no sees, and one quick hug. She was hoping today that they would be able to catch up. Her hopes were realized when she had gotten a short and brisk note telling her to be at Conference Room B; signed in Ron's name. It had greatly astounded her when an envelope suddenly came flying out of the wall and onto her desk. Later when she inspected the part of the wall, she found a small slot where it had come flying out earlier.

Hermione had absolutely no clue what they could possibly want say to her. In fact she was a bit nervous; Hermione knew that the worry was unfounded but she was worried that they were going to tell her to leave. The letter had sounded very important.

"_No that doesn't make sense, there would be no reason for them to kick me out," _Hermione thought with a shake of her head.

Taking a deep breath Hermione looked once more at the note that she had received and read through it. It was strictly told her to be in the conference room at one o'clock on the dot. Glancing at her watch, Hermione saw that she only had an hour before she was supposed to be there; which meant that she had plenty of time to have a look around. She hadn't really explored her new home yet and she desperately wanted to do so. Yes, she had plenty of time to look around a bit and then find her to the conference room.

Making up her mind, Hermione grabbed her cloak, which was becoming quite threadbare in some places, and threw it around herself.

* * *

A few hours before Hermione began her exploration, Ron was sitting with one other man and a woman. The man, Jabir Hassan, was from the Middle Eastern country of Jordan. He had a strict but fair reputation. He was one of Ron's superiors and was the founder of an education movement. The woman was named Andrea Gibbers. She was what they called a traveler; a person who may be gone months at a time rounding up Death Eaters. Andrea was one of the few women who held the job, the position was usually held by men and it was deeply frowned upon for a woman to do a man's job. Andrea though, could do her rough and tumble job better than most men. She stood just over five feet and eight inches, she was determined and bullheaded, and was a muscular woman who could easily take care of herself. Andrea was traveling with Jabir as a bodyguard, even though Ron had a suspicion that there was a little bit more to it. 

"So Weasley you requested a conversation with me?" Jabir spoke in his soft, rolling voice.

"Yes, I did Mr. Hassan," Ron answered properly.

"There is no need for this formality Weasley, I think we have known each other long enough that seniority should not matter," Jabir chuckled.

"Thank you, Jabir," Ron laughed as well; "I know your time is limited so I will get strait to the point. I heard recently that you were planning to open an education program here as soon as possible."

"That is correct Ronald," he confirmed.

"I also heard that you were having problems getting a suitable person to fill the position, " Ron continued.

"That too is correct."

"Well, I believe that I know of a person who might be willing to fill the position," declared Ron.

"And this person is fully qualified? After all this is not a thing to be taken lightly, future generations depend on it," Jabir said raising an eyebrow.

"She has all the qualifications someone might need. She is the smartest witch I have ever had the pleasure of knowing," Ron proclaimed.

"Smartest witch? I have never heard of someone who held such distinction with you Weasley," Andrea spoke up, looking curiously at the redhead.

"We were best friends together at Hogwarts. Since first year, I know her well."

"Really, best friends aye?" she purred, smirking at him.

"I trust you Ronald in what you say about this woman. How does this sound? I will meet with this woman in-," he glanced at his pocket watch, "one hour. "

"That would be fine Jabir, thank you," Ron said, standing up as the other man stood up to leave.

"It is no trouble. By the way, what is this woman's name?"

"Hermione Granger," Ron answered.

"Hermione Granger… A good name for someone as smart as she," Jabir mused.

"She would appreciate that."

"Ms. Gibbers, are you coming?" Jabir asked, turning to Andrea.

"No, I think I will stay on here a bit," she replied.

Nodding goodbye to them, he walked out, shutting the door softly behind him. After he had left the two occupants that were left, turned to each other. The two were old friends from a long way back, since they worked together almost three years ago. Ron still remembered the first time he had first laid eyes on the young woman; he had just been assigned to his new position at Cavern 25 as a general worker. Ron had been having dinner in the mess hall with some of the other blokes when Andrea stumbled in. She was seriously drunk and not knowing what she was saying, began to rattle about how all men should burn in Hell and have a certain appendage, only common to males, thrown to a pack of ravenous dogs. Ron, and many of the other males that were there that night would not easily forget the gut gripping fear. So after some initial embarrassment the two became fast friends and both realized that the other made good company.

"So Weasley," Andrea cleared her throat and chuckled, "I don't think I've met this "good friend" of yours yet."

"No, I didn't think you had," Ron said nervously, he knew what was coming next. Andrea had always taken great interest in his love life, always setting up dates and encounters with women. Andrea could not understand why none of them had taken.

"Best friends with this Hermione Granger woman? A relationship with one so long, you must have been close," she grinned mischievously.

"Um… Yes-yes it was," Ron said tersely.

Andrea looked even more gleeful. "Weasley, I know about such things. I know about close friends and how close friends may become even closer. So then I will get straight to the point, did you ever… oh what is the right word I should use? There are ever so many… jump into the sack with her, bang her, screw her, shag her, love her? And all with varying degrees of bluntness. I don't know how I shall ever choose."

Ron, who looked about ready to explode, blushed an appealing shade of scarlet. Why, in all hell did she have to be so forward? It would be a miracle if he didn't suddenly burst into flames right then and there. But he couldn't help the small flicker of anger that he felt; no such words should be usedwhen talking about Hermione. Shag and love where perfectly acceptable but the rest…

"N-no of course not. We were nothing but friends," Ron stuttered, he just couldn't help thinking what it would be like to love Hermione the way he wished he could.

"I don't think you listened close enough to me Ron, I also said love, and love can in fact include sex or not," Andrea told him, winking at him as she did so. She was enjoying this far too much.

"Friends, only friends," Ron repeated firmly, hoping against all hope she would give up, because he knew this would lead to a place he didn't think he wanted to go.

"Ron," Andrea said leaning back against her chair, she was obviously in this for the long run, "you know that you can't keep anything from me. Every emotion you are feeling is always shown on your face."

But before Ron could argue some more Andrea continued.

"Let's get this strait, I have tried to find you a capable woman, but for some reason my attempts have been futile. And now I do believe I have found not only the reason but also the solution. So, I would like to get a truthful answer."

"Err… Well, it's obvious that you won't leave me in peace so… Yes, I did once have feelings for her. There are you happy now?"

"No, not quite. Tell me something Ron, if you _once _had feelings for her than why did you not want to tell me you _once _had feelings for her," Andrea laughed aloud, her face glowing with mirth. She found this highly funny, stringing it out of him. For her it was easy to read people, almost everyone could be read like a book.

"Because I knew this would happen, I knew you wouldn't take the truth for the truth," Ron lied.

"Ron," Andrea said exasperatedly, "we are going to be here all day, and we both know we have more important things to do."

"Andrea!"

"Say it."

"No."

"Damn you! Just say you like this woman."

"No!"

"Say it!"

"Fine you nag! Alright I've loved her since I was 15!" Ron barked, and then slumped against his chair, looking drained, "You are the most annoying woman I have ever met."

"I knew it! That was pathetic Weasley, I expected for you not to brake for another half-an-hour. The way you wouldn't budge I was sure I was at least going to have a bit of a challenge. Pathetic, I am seriously disappointed."

"Whatever Gibbers," Ron uttered flatly.

"That's a fine attitude. You should be paying me for therapy," Andrea said, standing up to go.

"Good-bye Gibbers."

"Good-bye Ronnie," Andrea teased, walking toward the door.

Ron grunted.

"Oh and by the way Ronnie, I must advise, if you ever do become romantically involved with this woman, you should now, if she does get this teaching job it would be completely against the rules to _date _her," Andrea said, turning around.

"You're one to talk," Ron shot back.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Andrea asked, narrowing her eyes dangerously at him.

"Well, you are the one scewin' the boss man," Ron hissed back triumphantly.

"No, no, no, you have it all wrong. I'm not the one doing the screwin', as you so eloquently put it, I'm the one being screwed, there is a difference. Bye Weasley and I will see you later, you couldn't possibly keep me away," she finished, finally leaving.

_That woman is going to drive me to drink. _

_

* * *

__Great, I'm lost._

_How could I be lost? I memorized the hallways I turned into and paths that I took. _

Hermione was completely lost. She had no clue where she was, and she was beginning to get a bit spooked; the hallways were all dark, damp, and silent. She thought she was in the residential (where all most everybody slept) sectors. Hermione looked at her watch, she only had 15 minutes before she was supposed to be at the conference room. Turning down another corridor, she looked for any signs or marking to tell her where she was at, there was nothing.

_Who designed this place, Houdini? I would have sworn Ron said all corridors lead back to the main hall. Now I'm definitely going to be late. Nothing looks familiar, where __am I? Wait this looks… Yes, that's it! I'm off of the main corridor from the mess hall. Thank Merlin, at least now I know where I am. _

As she emerged onto the main hallway, Hermione could just see the mess hall in the distance. Now knowing where she was Hermione realized something, the conference rooms were on the other side of cavern.

_I'm cursed, that's it I'm cursed. _

While Hermione lost herself further into the unforgiving maze, Ron and Jabir were waiting not so patiently for Hermione to arrive.

"The young lady is seven minutes late Ron," Jabir commented, raising one eyebrow critically.

"I'm sure she's lost, I should have thought to give her directions," Ron groaned.

Rising to his feet Ron addressed Jabir, "I'll be right back, please do not leave, she will be here any second."

Leaving the room, Ron walked briskly across the hall and knocked sharply on the door strait across from his. _'What'_ came the muffled answer. Taking this as a come in Ron opened the door and swiftly poked his head in. What he saw was too funny to comprehend.

"Garret, what the hell are you doing?"

"Gettin' ready to have a little rendezvous with miss Meara Davan," the man muttered, preoccupied.

"No, what are you doing to your hair?"

"Oh, it's the latest muggle fashion in France," Garret replied, pouring more of the purple solution over the baby blue curlers in his hair. "You see, it's supposed to make the hair gently curl."

Ron looked at him for a moment before he snorted. "Curl?"

"Yeah, dude, the chicks go crazy over it."

"Garret you're an odd one."

"Whatever Weasley. Look I have a tight schedule and while this chitchatting is fun, I do have much more pressing matters. You see I've been trying to land this broad for a month, she is hot, and when I mean hot I mean thigh steaming hot. I'm sure you've seen her," Garret replied, practically drooling.

"I thought she was married to a bloke back in Ireland," Ron interjected.

Garret looked up at Ron as if he was stupid, "she is, but they have an open relationship."

Ron snorted again in amazement. Deciding he had enough of this conversation Ron finally got to the point. "I need you to do me a favor."

"What?" the other man asked suspiciously.

"I need you to find someone for me, and I need you to do it now."

"That sounds like it might take awhile Weasley," Garret drawled, carefully removing the curlers from his hair.

"No, it won't take long at all to find her."

"Fine Weasley, what's her name?" he asked.

"Hermione Granger, brown hair, kind of bushy," Ron replied.

So with the last curlers removed, he ran a brush through his hair. Ron tried not to laugh as he looked at the result of the man's new hairdo; Garret looked more like a poodle than anything. Frowning at Ron one more time he opened the door to leave.

"Weasley this better not take long."

"It won't," Ron assured him.

Looking doubtful, he left. Checking his watch Ron realized he had wasted far too much time talking to Garret. Everyone agreed that the man was odd. He was the only male American on their team, and loved some kind of muggle passion called surfing. Ron believed that this surfing thing must have something to do with hair since Garret Smith was obsessed with his looks. Realizing his eyes were watering, Ron rubbed them; the heavy fumes of Garret's hair treatment was getting to him. In fact Ron realized he felt a bit dizzy.

"_What is in that stuff?" _Ron thought, swaying on his feet as he stumbled out the room. Once outside Ron steadied himself and sucked in the fumeless air in the corridor. _"No wonder Garret acts mad half the time."_

Finally steady on his feet Ron walked back into where Jabir and the others were waiting. What was waiting for him there surprised him greatly; Andrea had showed up and was looking happier than he had ever seen her. The reason she looked so happy was made apparent by the brunette by the name, Hermione Granger, sitting next to her.

"Look at who I found wandering through the corridors," Andrea said brightly, looking up at him.

Before Ron could reply though, Jabir asserted his own ideas.

"Ms. Granger arrived just after you left. And you were right Ronald she is an absolute delight. Lovely woman, perfect for the position," Jabir declared, looking pleased.

"Oh that's great, really great," Ron replied awkwardly.

"Well, I think everything is in order so I will be departing now," Jabir said standing up and continuing, "and Ms. Granger if you have any questions please feel free to owl me."

So he shook Hermione and Ron's hands goodbye. Once he was gone, Andrea also stood to leave.

"It was great to meet you to Hermione. I hope we will seeing each other soon," Andrea said heading towards the door and giving her a wave.

"It was nice to meet you too," Hermione agreed, nodding her head in the other woman's direction.

Being the polite gentleman that Ron was he opened the door for Andrea. But she did not walk into the corridor; instead she stopped and leaned towards Ron.

"Got a plan yet Weasley?" she hissed so only the two of them could hear.

"What plan?" Ron hissed back, looking towards Hermione, self-consciously.

"The plan to get the girl. What are you daft?"

"We will never have this discussion," Ron whispered back.

"Oh I don't know about that, things do have a way of turning around," Andrea finished, and finally left with one more wave of her hand.

"_Must. Not. Blow. Top." _Ron thought as he refrained from slamming the door as he closed it.

Turning back to Hermione, he took in her raised eyebrow and slight smile.

"You two are friends," Hermione spoke, it was not a question.

"Uh...yeah we've known each other for awhile. Look I'm really sorry I didn't think to give you directions, I honestly didn't know what I was thinking."

"It's fine Ron," Hermione reassured, trying not to look down at her feet. She couldn't help but feel awkwardness overtake her. Why couldn't they talk? Even getting into a row like they used to would be a relief.

When Ron was at a loss for words Hermione spoke again.

"You didn't have to do that," she said.

"Do what?" Ron asked, confused.

"Ask Mr. Hassan to meet with me,' Hermione replied sheepishly.

"Well, you were the best one for the job, and the most qualified by far."

"But still, I really appreciated it," she insisted.

Once again a moment a moment of awkward silence followed. But this time it was broken by Ron.

"Lunch?" Ron blurted out, looking a bit shocked at his own words, he obviously hadn't meant to say that.

"What?"

"I mean do you want to have lunch with me tomorrow?' Ron corrected, blushing as he did so.

"Of course I'd love to," Hermione answered looking relieved.

"Great, I'll come by tomorrow around 12 o'clock; in fact I'll walk you back to your room," Ron announced, taking two coats from the peg near the door, one was his and the other was hers which he handed to her. She took it gratefully and bundled herself in it.

Ron once again opened the door for a lady and waited for her to go out before he followed suit. Once out in the corridor, Ron securely locked the door behind him with a spell. So they began the walk back to her room. The conversation that they had was light and wasn't awkward in the least. Because of this they were at Hermione's door faster than Ron had expected.

She whispered the password and with a clicking sound the door unlocked itself. Turning back to Ron, Hermione looked up at him.

"Thank you again Ron."

"Your welcome," Ron answered huskily.

Saying their goodbyes to each other, Hermione entered her room and closed the door behind her. Ron was left standing there staring at the door as his stomach did uncomfortable flip-flops. Shaking his head swiftly Ron began to walk back to his own rooms. Hermione, unknown to Ron, was also standing on the other side of the door, her own stomach swarming with butterflies.

* * *

**Thanks to all who reviewed! And as before here's a short teaser.**

**Teaser:**

_She once again gathered the little courage that she had left and gave a curt knock on the wooden door. There was no answer; she was just about to knock again when Ron answered the door, in nothing but a towel. The white piece of fabric hung loosely on his hips, he was till moist, and fresh looking from the shower he must have just taken. Hermione's eyes followed the light dusting of red hair that disappeared, tantalizing under the top of the towel. Hermione suddenly snapped out of her naughty train of thought when Ron gave an odd squeaky sound and slammed the door in her face. Hermione was so shocked that she just stood there, wondering if in fact she had just seen Ron nearly naked… _

**Please review! **


	5. The Beginning of Something

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.

No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and it is for entertainment purposes only.

_  
A/N: I won't be doing this very often but I did want to reply to one of my reviews._

_Violet Snicket: Thank you so much for the review! No there will not be any big fights between Ron and Hermione. They will bicker with each other and get annoyed with each other every once in awhile, and maybe get a bit mad, but no big fights. And as to them acting like a normal couple, well, it depends on what you mean. For example it is impossible for them to go on dates, but they will find time to be together. ;)_

_Thank you to the rest of my reviewers, expecially Haystack8190! And again thank you to my beta fanfictionsissy! _

**  
Chapter 5: The Beginning of Something**

Hermione was slowly getting used to her new life. It thrilled her that she now had something different to tackle, to conquer. Hermione had been teaching for a week and loved it. She loved being around the pupils that she taught; it was their shining, hopeful faces that always made her day. Mr. Hassan (along with Andrea) left the day after she first spoke to the two of them. Bill also left the same day, telling her goodbye and that they would be seeing each other soon. Saying the same to his brother, along with a back slapping hug.

It was also nice, no great actually, to have Ron back in her life. Not only was it nice to have a friend but it was helpful to have someone she knew at her new home. But it wasn't all fun and games having Ron back, that man drove her absolutely bonkers.

For example, he was way too protective.

_Five days after Hermione's arrival, at breakfast._

"He's just so handsome!"

"I know! Isn't he dreamy."

Hermione refrained from rolling her eyes with great difficulty. This whole conversation was sickening. The two young women sitting next to her were discussing Stuart Bentley, who had obviously caught their fancy. Hermione rolled her eyes this time as they began to giggle uncontrollably. She turned to another part of the table and began to focus on their conversation, which was quite a bit more serious.

"Yeah, I heard that they're gathering volunteers."

"I heard that it may be a class-A raid, very important. I'm going to sign up."

Hermione smiled inwardly, this was more her style. "Where do you go to sign up?" she asked.

"Well, for anything such as this, you'd usually go to Mr. Weasley's office. Are you thinking of signing up?" a blonde haired man told her.

"I think I will."

"I would if I were you, it's really the only way to climb the ladder," said the man again, looking pompous.

"I am not interested in climbing any ladder," Hermione scoffed.

"Then why would you sign up? What do have, a death wish?" he asked again, laughing. But stopped when he realized that no one else was laughing with him. All the others were staring at him, even the two giggling females on the other side of Hermione.

"What?" the sandy haired man shrugged, tearing another bite out of his role.

Everyone was silent.

"What a thing to say!" several people declared, looking offended. Almost everyone, Hermione included, left the table.

Hermione gave her plate to the lady in the kitchens and started to make her way for Ron's office. She hadn't seen him at breakfast so she supposed that he must be there. Once there, Hermione knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Ron's muffled reply.

She opened the door and walked in, shutting it behind her. Ron was sitting at his desk and from what Hermione could see was going through some kind of chart.

"Hi," Ron greeted grumpily.

"Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine," Hermione said, taken aback.

"Didn't sleep well."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermione told him soothingly.

"There's nothing to be sorry about," he snapped.

Hermione frowned but didn't say anything. This was no time to get into a row with him when one could be avoided. Hermione had a funny feeling though, she doubted that Ron would warm up to her new idea. She'd known him too long to think he would like it. So she decided to get strait to the point.

"How do I go on this raid you're planning?"

"What are talking about? Ron asked, looking at her closely.

"The raid. The one outside of Ebbw Vale a town in Southeastern Wales," Hermione prodded.

"You are not going."

Hermione's anger flared. "You can't tell me what to do!" she declared indignantly.

"I can and I just did," he argued.

"I want to help!"

"No, Hermione. There are too many important things for you to do here."

Hermione snorted, that man was always a terrible liar. "That's a lie! Why don't you want me to go? Do you think I'm not good enough?" Hermione later would wonder why she had ever said that last line; she knew why Ron didn't want her to go. But Hermione secretly liked riling the red head.

"That's not true!" he returned, getting to his feet, "what is this insane desire you have all the time to prove yourself? You were obsessed when we were kids and you still are. Look my decision is final, and that is that. Or are you going to screech at me some more?" Ron told her firmly.

"How dare you get all macho on me!"

"Macho! I'm not macho! Y-your delusional!" Ron sputtered with anger.

"That's the way it looks from where I'm standing!"

"That's it!" Ron yelled, infuriated, slamming his hands, palm down on the table.

Hermione jumped because of the sudden noise, but quickly composed herself while Ron stomped his way out the door, slamming it behind him.

"What a child!" Hermione yelled aloud.

* * *

After the fight with Ron that morning, Hermione had been searching for him all that afternoon, but to no avail, he was still missing. Luckily, just a few minutes ago, Hermione had heard, from Alice (one of her teaching colleagues), that he was hiding, with a full bottle of Firewhiskey no less, in storage compartment 11-a. So that was where she was heading now.

She walked down the corridor briskly, giving everyone curt nods as she passed; her fists, curled into tight balls by her sides.

"_Oh how he can infuriate me!" _Hermione thought to herself as turned sharply, down a narrow hall.

She then came to a door that had _S.C. 11-a, _in bright, white letters across its front. She pushed the door open abruptly, stepped into the dimly lit room, and closed the door quickly. As her eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness, Hermione could make out a pair of legs sprawled on the dirt floor, between one large food container and the wall. She made her way to the pair of legs, (which she supposed was Ron), with her hands placed on her hips.

She finally came to the tall redhead, and she waited for him to speak, he didn't. He just continued to sit there with his head bowed and the bottle of liquor in his hand. Hermione's anger continued to increase as she watched him ignore her.

"What do you think you are doing?" Hermione asked, fed up with his silence.

He waited a few moments to reply. "Having a drink," Ron answered simply.

"Why must you be so immature?" Hermione said with huff.

"It was for your own damn good Hermione," Ron retorted calmly, as he took another drink.

"I am not a child you know!"

"I think I've realized that by now Hermione," Ron said, as his eyes scanned her body, letting his eyes linger at her breasts for just a moment.

Hermione stood stick still as his eyes moved over her; she felt the blush start at her neck and soon consume all of her face. She wished at that very moment that she was somewhere else, anywhere else actually, as long as she wasn't blushing like she was ( and secretly liking the way he was looking at her now). When his eyes reached hers again, she snapped out of her reverie.

"As the head of this lair, it is my job, and only mine, to keep its occupants, my team, and most important of all, you out of harms way. Because of those reasons you are not coming with us, and that is final," Ron stated.

"Now wait one minute! You can't order me around like that!"

"As your superior, I assure you I can," Ron said firmly, "now then either you can keep arguing with me, which isn't going to do any good, or you can sit down and have a drink, you choose."

It was then that Hermione realized that her efforts were absolutely futile. Ron was far too stubborn to give up. There was no point. She decided then and there that liver damage be damned, she was going to have a drink. She plopped down beside Ron and leaned against the plastic container. He then silently handed her the still almost full bottle. Hermione quickly observed the bottle and the brown liquid inside of it before she raised the bottle to her lips and took a drink. It was like liquid fire as it burned a path down her throat; she coughed and choked on the whiskey. She glanced at Ron and realized that he was trying not to laugh at her.

"Oh go ahead and laugh," Hermione croaked.

Ron burst out in a great fit of laughter.

"Oh shut up," Hermione sputtered as she punched him in the arm.

"Hey that hurt," Ron complained in mock pain, as he rubbed his arm.

"Well, it serves you right. That stuff is vile, I am not having anymore."

"Aw, come on Hermy, you'll get used to it," Ron teased, using the nickname that Hagrid's half-brother, Grawp, had used.

"No," Hermione maintained flatly.

"But I don't like drinking alone," Ron whined.

"Well, good then, maybe you won't drink anymore of that _stuff _if I don't," Hermione gestured toward the bottle between them.

As Ron went to grab the whiskey, Hermione had a sudden idea. Before his hand reached the bottle, Hermione swiped it away and placed it between her and the food container, so that Ron would have to lean all the way across her. Hermione flashed Ron a cheeky grin, before realizing that she was playing with fire. Ron looked at her mischievously before he suddenly lunged towards her. He started to tickle her mercilessly. Hermione howled with laughter and gasped for breath as she tried to squirm away from him, but he was already partially laying on top of her so it was impossible to get away. She was completely at the mercy of his tickling fingers, when he suddenly stopped. Hermione looked up and their eyes met. His eyes had darkened to an even more attractive dark blue. Hermione watched in slow motion as his eyes drifted down to her lips and back up again.

Hermione's tongue darted out and unconsciously wetted her lips. Ron groaned and started to lean down toward her. Really not thinking any more about the consequences, Hermione raised her head slightly and their lips met in a kiss. At first the kiss was soft and simple but soon it became heated and deep when Ron ran his tongue across her bottom lip, seeking access to her mouth. Hermione gladly gave it to him and then moaned when his tongue gently touched hers. But then, almost as soon as they had really gotten started, the alarm sounded and it's loud wailing filled the storage compartment. Ron suddenly sprang away from her and quickly rose to his feet in alarm.

"I-uh, er… I-I didn't mean to, I'm sorry," Ron stuttered as he literally ran from the room.

"No, Ron wait!" Hermione yelled after him but either he didn't hear her or chose to ignore her call. Hermione felt the tears start to prickle the sides of her eyes but angrily swiped them away.

"_Why did his kiss have to be so perfect?" _Hermione thought, sadly, as she touched her still tingling lips.

* * *

After Hermione had composed herself and straitened her slightly rumpled clothes, she went to see what the alarm had been about. She walked to the door, opened it, and then closed it. She turned her head to the left and then to the right, looking down the narrow corridor. But the corridor was deserted. Hermione turned and walked a few paces before she entered a new corridor. This one, unlike the other, was filled with bustling people. She hailed down a young woman, with short, light brown hair.

"Um… Excuse me? What was the alarm about?" Hermione asked.

The woman raised a single eyebrow, "about a dozen Death Eaters were spotted a half-a-mile away."

Hermione felt fear shoot through her, _Ron… _But before she could ask anymore, the brown haired woman had already hurriedly walked away. Hermione groaned in frustration. Why would no one ever tell her anything? She followed a herd of people, who were heading toward the main exit. She had to see where Ron was, she had to help. But then as soon as she had entered the large room, someone grabbed her arm.

"You're not allowed to be here Miss please go back to your room," the guard, who had grabbed her arm, said.

"Let me go! I can help!"

"No Miss go back to your room," the guard ordered again.

"No!" Hermione yelled, as she grew more and more angry.

"Lucas! Gregory! Take this woman back to her room, and make sure she stays there," the guard ordered two other guards.

The guards came forward but before they reached her she wrenched her arm away from the guard and tried to start forward. But, once again, the guard caught her, this time his grip was painfully tight. A gasp of pain escaped Hermione's mouth as the guard's grip got ever tighter. Then on pure instinct she kneed the guard in the groin. The guard released her and fell to his knees in pain, his hands covering his crotch. But then one of the guards grabbed her and back handed her. His hand slapping her face painfully. She stumbled backwards as her hand went to her cheek.

Then in a rush of red hair and fury, Ron came forward and in an instant his fist connected with the second's guard face. The guard fell backward, hit the stone wall, and slid down it. Ron then turned to the rest.

"If I see anyone raising a hand to any of the woman in my cavern they will be thrown to the Death Eaters by me personally. IS THAT CLEAR!" Ron roared.

Some nodded in shock and others just stared. Ron then hauled the two guards to their feet and shoved them towards one of the other guards.

"Take those two to the brig, I will decide their punishment later," Ron told the guard who then nodded mutely.

He then turned to another guard, this one was looking utterly shocked at the other guards behavior, "you take Ms. Granger back to her room."

Hermione then opened her mouth to object when Ron gave her a scathing look, Hermione shut her mouth. Without a word she started walking, with the guard by her side. When they had turned the corner, Hermione heard Ron's voice boom through out the area.

"This is not how my men or my team acts! If I see anymore of that kind of behavior or the fact that you bloody bastards just stood there, I assure you, that you will be severely punished! Now get back to work, RIGHT NOW!"

Hermione continued to hear Ron's voice as he yelled but it started to fade more and more as they approached her room.

"Are you alright?" The guard broke the awkward silence.

"Yes, I'm alright. I'm sorry that I caused so much trouble," Hermione replied.

"Oh no, Miss Everything is fine," the guard finished as they arrived at her door.

"There you go miss, is there anything you need?"

"No thank you," Hermione answered.

The guard nodded and started walking the way that she had just come. Hermione sighed as she turned back to her wooden door. She muttered the password, _Levine_, and then opened it. Once she was inside, Hermione reached her hand up to her cheek and winced as her fingers pressed into her bruised flesh.

Hermione walked to the small mirror hanging over the equally small desk and looked at the bruise on her face. She took her wand out of her robe pocket and touched the very tip of it to her face , almost instantly the black and blue tinge started to fade, and with it so did the pain.

* * *

Hermione felt bored and out of sorts the next day. The reason? Ronald Weasley. She had waited for the rest of Saturday for him to come and see her; to see how she was, or maybe to continue were they had left off yesterday, before the alarm had sounded. So what was she supposed to do? She really needed to talk about the kiss that they had shared, but she knew that Ron would never go for that.

So she would just have to gather her Gryffindor strength and go to his room. And all along the way hoping that when he answered the door, that she wouldn't jump him right then and there and have her wicked way with him.

"_Oh, Merlin I really should not be thinking this! Stop it right now Granger,"_ Hermione ordered herself.

"_Must be calm and in control."_

Hermione took a deep breath and grabbed her coat to protect herself from the dampness of the underground corridors. It didn't take her long at all to reach the H Wing. The H Wing was where all the heads of the different departments slept.

She once again gathered the little courage that she had left and gave a curt knock on the wooden door. There was no answer; she was just about to knock again when Ron answered the door, in nothing but a towel. The white piece of fabric hung loosely on his hips, he was till moist, and fresh looking from the shower he must have just taken. Hermione's eyes followed the light dusting of red hair that disappeared, tantalizing under the top of the towel. Hermione suddenly snapped out of her naughty train of thought when Ron gave an odd squeaky sound and slammed the door in her face. Hermione was so shocked that she just stood there, wondering if in fact, she had just seen Ron nearly _naked… _

Hermione was wondering if she should knock again when the door opened. This time Ron was quite a bit more clothed, with a pair of brown trousers, hurriedly thrown on, and a simple white T-shirt. She also noticed that he was blushing beet red.

When Ron didn't say anything, Hermione decided to speak first.

"Um… I was wondering if I could talk to you? But if it's a bad time I could come back tomorrow, if your busy that is. Or you know, I could come back later tonight or something. Or when ever it suits you the best," Hermione shut her mouth quickly, realizing that she was babbling.

"N-No you can come in," Ron stuttered slightly, stepping aside and holding the door open wider.

Hermione took one more deep breath and stepped into his room.

"I wanted to-," Hermione started to say but was cut off.

"Are you alright?"

"Wha- what do you mean?" Hermione asked, slightly bewildered by his sudden question.

"Are you alright, you know from yesterday," Ron asked, continuing to turn red.

"Oh, I'm fine, it was nothing that a little charm couldn't fix," Hermione answered.

Ron stepped forward and ran his hand across her once bruised cheek. Hermione shuddered and leaned into his hand. Stepping away from him Hermione started to speak again.

"Ron, I really need to talk to you," Hermione tried again, but was cut off once more.

"Not right now Hermione."

Ron suddenly pulled her to him and captured her lips with his.

* * *

**I don't know if you would consider this a cliffhanger, but if it is, I'm really sorry! I hope you all enjoyed it, and please review!**


	6. Hoping For a Future

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.

No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and it is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

And as always, thank you to my beta, _fanfictionsissy_!

**  
Chapter 6: Hoping For a Future**

Ron released her lips and took a step away from her.

"Are you sure? Do you trust me?" He asked anxiously, hoping for an affirmative.

Hermione nodded her head, as she pulled his head back down to hers; once again seeking his lips. Ron made her feel wanton and sexy, his touch made joltsof pleasure blaze their way down her spine, and then made her toes curl at the ends.

Hermione was not totally innocent, there had been boyfriends, a total of three to be exact. But she had only gone all the way with Terry Boot, which hadn't been all that pleasant. Even through her inexperience, Hermione knew one thing, she had never felt anything like what she was experiencing now, with Ron. The burning ache inside of her was so intense, that she couldn't focus on anything else.

Ron suddenly pulled away from Hermione and lifted her up. Hermione squealed in alarm and instinctively wrapped her legs around Ron's waist.

"Wait-what are you doing?" Hermione asked, bewildered, as Ron placed her on top of his desk.

Instead of answering with his voice, he answered silently; he latched his lips on to her neck, nibbling and gently sucking on the tender flesh there.

"Oh, Ron…" Hermione moaned, and Ron growled in response.

In their new position, Ron had better access to her mouth and her neck, and it felt heavenly. The brown haired witch felt pleasantly dizzy.

"Ron I need you…" she managed to gasp out as Ron's wandering hands caressed her breast.

* * *

The next morning Hermione stretched contentedly, like a cat, the ends of her curled toes reaching the edge of Ron's bed. Hermione then opened her eyes, wondering why the bed felt so empty. Hermione sat up and looked around for Ron, but instead she saw a flicker of candles coming from the second room. She rose from the bed, and started to look for her forgotten knickers. When she had located them, Hermione slipped them on, and then pulled on one of Ron's old shirts, which she had found on a peg hanging near the bed.

The t-shirt was so large that the sleeves hung down from her arms, and the hem came to the top of her knees. She stepped silently toward the door and peeked around the corner. She saw Ron sitting in the old wooden desk chair, his legs propped on top of the desk, and he appeared to be flipping through a worn, leather brown book.

"What are you doing?" Hermione inquired, walking to him.

He was startled at her sudden voice and turned his head toward her. He flashed her a wide grin and turned back to what he had been doing.

"Just looking through some old photos," he answered.

Hermione reached him and leaned down, resting her head on his shoulder. That's when she realized which album Ron was looking in. It was the one that she had given to Ron for Christmas in their sixth year. Hermione smiled sadly at the photo Ron had stopped on. Ron, Harry, and Ginny were all in their full quidditch gear; it had just been after the last game of their sixth year and they had just won the quidditch cup. Seamus, Lavender, Paverti, Dean, Neville, and of course Hermione were also in the picture, all waving merrily up at them.

"Come here," Ron urged, as he steered her towards his lap, and Hermione sat down carefully on him.

"Was last night- you know, alright?" Ron asked nervously, planting a kiss in her hair.

"Yes, Ron it was lovely," Hermione said, snuggling closer to him.

She felt rather than saw Ron smile. After a moment of silence, Ron spoke.

"Do you think, that Seamus was still Seamus in this picture?" Ron asked her.

Hermione's heart sank as she remembered the events that led to Lavender Brown's suicide in their seventh year.

"I would like to think so," Hermione whispered.

"Me too…"

**Flashback**

"It looks as if your luck has finally run out, Potter," Lucius Malfoy hissed, as he circled Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Dean, who were all sitting on a cold stone floor, and chained uncomfortably to the wall.

"I wouldn't count on it," Harry boldly retorted.

Malfoy barked with laughter and turned to his fellow Death Eaters.

"Bring her in," Malfoy ordered.

Suddenly Lavender Brown was led into the room, also in chains, her clothes were in shreds, and she was sobbing hysterically.

"Let her go! They have nothing to do with this! It's me you want!" Harry screamed, tugging against his chains, but they only magically tightened their hold.

"You are in no position to make orders," he hissed and then added," it will be most _pleasurable _to see your little girlfriends raped and you killed Potter."

Both Ron and Neville inched towards Hermione and Ginny in alarm.

"Well, well look at that, Gryffindor till the end," Malfoy spoke again, "enough of this chit-chat."

"Let the fun begin, Bellatrix," Malfoy directed at the woman, who was partially hidden by shadows.

"The mudblood first," Bellatrix Lestrange said in a gleeful tone, as she stepped out from the shadows. The woman who had killed Sirius Black and had caused Neville so much pain, still bore the scars of Azkaban. Her sunken eyes and white complexion told the tale of her evil deeds.

"If you touch her I'll-" Ron warned, as he tried to get in front of Hermione who was now looking truly fearful.

"You'll what, baby Weasley, kill me? _Cruico!" _Bellatrix screamed.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Hermione cried, as Ron withered in agony, great spasms of pain wracking his body. She was sitting right next to Ron, and she could actually feel the pain coming from him. Hermione felt like she was suffocating.

In answer, the Death Eater lifted her wand from Ron and this time pointed it at Hermione, who braced herself against the pain that was about to befall her.

"Cruico!" Bellatrix screamed once more. Hermione too screamed out in agony.

Bellatrix cackled like a hyena as her wand remained trained on Hermione's convulsing body, as Ron yelled himself hoarse; straining against his bonds. As he continued to try and fight his way to the Death Eater, blood began to run down his wrists were the metal chains were cutting in to his skin.

"That's enough!" Malfoy ordered once again, "we want her fresh for later."

Hermione slumped down and wretched on the floor, she was shivering all over, and gasping for breath, but couldn't seem to get the air into her aching lungs. Malfoy sneered at Hermione's shaking form before he once more turned to Harry.

"You will realize Potter, as soon as your pitiful life is about to end, how history repeats itself."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Harry asked impatiently, franticly trying to think of a way to get them all out of this new mess. He couldn't stand the sounds of Ginny's hushed crying or his best friend's screams.

"You Gryffindors are so naïve," Malfoy added in apparent boredom. Turning his gaze upon them, they were nothing but filth on the bottom of his boots. "You will soon see Potter," he chuckled, looking particularly pleased about something.

That's when Seamus Finnigan walked into the room, his boots echoing off the hard, cold floor. His eyes, like the floor, were cold, his face hard and set; he was also wearing gray Death Eater robes. He did not glance at his friends or his girlfriend who had stopped her crying when he had walked in.

"Seamus what's going on?" Lavender asked, her tear filled eyes trying to catch her boyfriend's, but he avoided looking at her directly.

"You were a good shag while it lasted, mudblood" Seamus said with a sneer.

"No, no, no, no…" Lavender muttered to herself, rocking back and forth.

"How could you? How could you do that!" Dean finally spoke, his voice breaking at the end, and his eyes filled with betrayal, it was all directed at his best friend. "I hope you rot in hell!"

It had been a narrow escape that night, and one they did not forget. Seamus was killed a month after the ordeal by his comrades, Voldemort had become displease with his service.

**End Flashback**

After a long moment of silence, Hermione was the first one to speak.

"Did you know that Lavender was pregnant?" Hermione asked.

"No, was she?" Ron asked in amazement, hearing this new piece of information for the first time.

"She lost the baby right after we were rescued, at least that's what Pomfrey told Paverti. Pavarti even thinks Seamus might have proposed, before we found out he was a traitor, that is," Hermione uttered, sadly.

Ron tightened his hold on her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Ron and Hermione didn't say anything for the longest time. They sat there, with Hermione on Ron's lap, enjoying the comfort that he brought.

Ron suddenly broke the silence with a whisper in her ear.

"I love you, you know, and I'm never going to let anything happen to you."

Hermione's heart soured and she answered, "I love you too."

"_Maybe everything, in the end, will turn out the way it's supposed to…" _Hermione thought.

* * *

"Over the next week I want you to write an essay describing to me the effects of a potion which is not brewed properly. You will use historical references, and you should all know by now an acceptable length for an essay of this type."

It was three weeks later, and Hermione was giving assignments to a few of her younger students. She was about to continue when a bit of red hair caught her eye. She withheld a grin when she saw Ron slip into one of the unused seats in the back of the class room.

"You may you use any potion as an example," Hermione continued, "or multiple examples for this essay. Class is now dismissed."

Hermione watched as the children started to leave, the few books that they had clutched tightly in their hands, and Hermione tried not to laugh as they gave Ron very curious looks as they passed. Once every last pupil had left she stepped down from the slightly raised platform and walked through the rows of seats, towards where Ron sat with a smile gracing his face.

"Well, Ms. Granger I must say that was an excellent lesson, very informative," Ron joked, standing and then leaning against the desk he had just been sitting at.

"Thank you Mr. Weasley for that kind observation," Hermione joked back.

"You are most welcome," and then the last part became a whisper as he leaned forward slightly, "you sexy wench."

Hermione gaped at him for a moment, and color flooded her cheeks before she was able to reply.

"Ron," she hissed, "someone might here you!"

"Hermione there isn't even anybody here!"

"Well, yes but- Oh, never mind! What did you come to see me about?" Hermione finally asked, not really wanting to bicker with him.

Ron smiled mischievously at her, "I've got a surprise for you," he said coyly, rocking back and forth on his heals.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, now fully interested.

"What do you think about going to see Harry?"

Hermione was so shocked that she couldn't speak.

"Wha- what do you mean?" Hermione said, bewildered.

"Exactly what I said. So what do you think?" Ron replied, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Well, I would love to but…"

"There isn't any buts, I've taken care of everything. I can be gone for a full two months, and these kids deserve a break. You've been working them like the slave driver you are," Ron joked, gesturing toward the rows of desks.

"Can we really Ron?" Hermione breathed in excitement, choosing to ignore his last comment.

Ron nodded. "It will be hard to get there, and it will take at least a week get there and we will have to walk."

"Oh, Ron I don't care how long it takes!" Hermione said, joyfully.

"That's good then, we can leave in two weeks."

* * *

_The forbidden forest's floor was covered in a magical mist, and all was quite except for the sound of running footsteps and heavy breathing. A sense of panic seemed to surround and then try to suffocate them as they ran; trying to run from the danger that was just behind them. _

_It had been McGonagall's strict and firm order had done it, Harry was far to important, to be captured or worse killed. So they hadn't stopped running since; they were going ever deeper into the forest, with Ron in the front, Harry in the middle, and Hermione bringing up the rear. The forest that had once been a forbidden place was now a sanctuary of sorts, as other students rushed around them. _

_And then suddenly they came across a most gruesome sight, everyone halted and stared at the sight of Pavarti Patil holding her lifeless and blood covered sister. _

Hermione suddenly sat bolt upright in bed, gasping for air, her body drenched in sweat.

"Whatza matter?" Ron asked sleepily, also sitting up rubbing his sleep filled eyes.

"Noth-nothing's the matter- I just had a bad dream," she answered, still shaking.

"What was it about?" Ron asked as he pulled her back down to the bed, his arms now encircling her.

Hermione calmed a bit and closed her eyes remembering the feel of great panic that had come with dream, the same, heart thumping panic that she remembered that night; the last night of their seventh year. The Death Eaters had attacked Hogwarts only two weeks after the big battle. That had been the turning point of the war, the night Hogwarts fell to ruin. She sighed heavily and then answered.

"The night Padma Patil died," Hermione answered, a lone tear coming from her eye.

"I remember that night but not much of it, I think I passed out."

"Yeah, you did, from the loss of blood, because of that cutting curse," Hermione remembered.

"I remember," Ron murmured, and then was quiet.

"I've got an idea," Ron spoke suddenly, as he rose from the bed and started to rummage around for his clothes.

"Ron what are you doing?" Hermione asked, bewildered.

"Come on I want to show you something," Ron said, as he threw to her one of her discarded nightdresses, her knickers, and her cloak.

Wondering what he could possibly want to show her, Hermione slipped on the clothes and buttoned the cloak. Hand in hand, they exited Ron's room. Ron peaked down each corridor before they turned into it, getting caught like this would be very bad.

"Okay it's right here," Ron whispered and then stopped.

Hermione was totally flabbergasted, once again wondering what he was talking about, she looked all around. Her mouth fell open when Ron reached up and with a click, a hatch, which she had not known was there, opened. And then with a sound of metal, sliding on metal, Ron pulled down a small ladder.

"Okay climb up," Ron once again whispered.

Hermione silently obliged, and with both hands and feet on the ladder she started to climb, with Ron right behind her. When she reached the top, the sight took Hermione's breath away. They were outside, about 15 feet off the ground.

"Ron where are we?" Hermione asked, turning to Ron who had just emerged.

"We're in a tree," Ron said.

Hermione looked at him like he had just gone completely mad.

Ron chuckled and said, "we are in a lookout tower. From the outside it looks like a tree but it isn't actually real," he answered, taking a seat beside her.

Hermione looked around in amazement. The platform that they were on was relatively small, and had an opening in the middle, were the ladder was. But the most fascinating thing, by far, was the fact that there was some sort of invisible barrier that separated the outside from the platform, it made it appear that they were truly outdoors. The stars were twinkling above them merrily, somehow sending a message of hope, that had Hermione's eyes tearing up.

"Oh Ron, it's beautiful," Hermione expressed, laying her head against Ron's chest.

"I love you," Ron whispered.

"I love you too."

* * *

**A/N: This is pretty much just part 2 of chapter 5 but with both parts together it was just too long. So I hope everybody thought it was okay. Both this chapter (well, atleast part of it) and the next chapter are setting the stage for what's coming next. ;) You're getting some big changes in mood in chapter 8 & 9 so I would advise you to enjoy chapter 6 & 7 while you can. **

**Just some quick info since it was not made clear when the flashback and Hermione's dream took place: the flashback with Malfoy was at the end of sixth year, the dream, which was night Hogwarts fell, happened at the end of seventh year. Just to make that clear, since I don't think it will come up again. :)**

**Teaser:**

_The shop was rather large, with aisles and aisles just full of books, Hermione was in virtual heaven. The shop smelled of old dusty books, a papery, slightly musty smell. It was, in Hermione's mind, simply marvelous. _

"_When you're done here we can leave. I'll be right over there," Liam said, gesturing _

_toward a particular row. _

_Hermione nodded, and after he had walked off Hermione wondered where she should start. There was so many books but sadly so little time was available. Hermione then made up her mind and strode over to a row of books that was marked "History."_

**I want to give a big shout out to all of my reviewers thus far for their support. You have all been great! Remember, if you have any suggestions please tell them to me by reviewing, I appreciate anything you have to say. **


	7. Shopping and Wicked Things

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.

No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and it is for entertainment purposes only.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 7: Shopping and Wicked Things**

Hermione didn't like to shop. When she was younger, her mother had tried her best to make her a "normal girl". One that liked to shop, get facials, manicures, pedicures, and jewelry, but it had never taken hold; all Hermione had ever been interested in was books. And so it was ironic that she was not exceeding in keeping her excitement and impatience at bay; because for the first time in six years, she was going to go shopping.

As was expected, Hermione had been completely and utterly shocked when Ron had suggested that she go shopping to get anything she might need for the two week trek to Harry's. The prospect of going into a store and browsing was amazing but actually getting to buy things was, well, mind blowing.

When Hermione asked where exactly she would be doing this shopping, Hermione had been even more shocked when Ron answered in a small muggle town just three miles to the North. Sadly though, there was a slight damper in her excitement and good mood; Ron was not going with her. Instead a bodyguard of sorts was going to escort her there. Ron, it seemed, didn't like the idea much either. But thankfully Hermione calmed his concerns and what she supposed was jealousy, and was now on her way to a town called Highwood.

* * *

"Where would you like to go first?" The bodyguard whose name was Liam, asked.

Hermione had, surprisingly, been enjoying herself on the three-mile walk to Highwood. She had been once again been surprised when she had found out that Liam had been a Ravenclaw and had only been three years ahead of her. He also had a good amount of knowledge on the book, Hogwarts, a History. She also enjoyed his company; he was good-natured and had a bright smile.

"Um… How about that used book shop over there," Hermione replied, having spotted a small and quaint bookshop to the left.

"All right then, let's go inside."

They walked across the paved street and down a sidewalk for a short ways.

"I'll be going in with you, if that's alright." Liam announced as he held the door open, a bell ringing as he did so.

The shop was rather large, with aisles and aisles just full of books; Hermione was in virtual heaven. The shop smelled of old dusty books, a papery, slightly musty smell. It was, in Hermione's mind, simply marvelous.

"When you're done here we can leave. I'll be right over there," Liam said, gesturing toward a particular row.

Hermione nodded, and after he had walked off Hermione wondered where she should start. There were so many books but sadly so little time was available. Hermione then made up her mind and strode over to a row of books that was marked "History."

Most of the books on history were all very old, their covers faded, the lettering barely eligible, and torn in some places. She took a few books from their well-organized places and flipped through them, looking for a book worthwhile enough to buy. After she had placed back a few volumes, one book caught her eye and she lifted its heavy weight. The leather was black with age and mistreatment; the gold lettering was almost completely non-existent but Hermione could just make out the words, A History of Ancient Rome.

Hermione's interest now roused, she took the book and walked towards one of the small circular tables near by. She pulled out a chair and sat herself down, placing the large, thick book down on the table's wooden surface.

Hermione opened the book to the first page, which on the very top read "Introduction", and started to read

_"Nearly 3,000 years ago shepherds first built huts on the hills beside the Tiber River in central Italy. These encampments gradually grew and merged to form the city of Rome. Rome's history is unique in comparison to other large urban centers like London, England, or Paris, France, because it encompasses more than the story of a single city. In ancient times Rome extended its political control over all of Italy and eventually created an empire that stretched from England to North Africa and from the Atlantic Ocean to Arabia." _

Deciding that the book was worth buying, Hermione turned the book over and on a tag she looked at the price. She sighed and her excitement waned, the book cost 24 pounds, too expensive. Hermione was just about to look for another book that might interest her when she noticed on the back of the tag was a new price. It was marked ten pounds down. Her good spirits now returning, Hermione gathered her purse and book, and walked up to the counter.

"Um… Excuse me?" Hermione asked timidly, feeling slightly guilty at interrupting the old man from his reading.

"Oh, hello how can I help you?" the man asked, putting down his book and rising to his feet.

"Yes, I would like to purchase this book please," Hermione replied.

"Alright then," he said, but then spoke again," Where are you from? I know everyone in Highwood, but I don't believe I have ever seen you or that gentleman you came in with."

"My husband and I," Hermione said, gesturing toward Liam who was browsing through the fiction section, "are on a business trip and are just passing through," she lied.

"I'm sorry for prying, it's just that you can't be too careful these days; what with these terrorist attacks and all, " the man whispered, as if he was scared of someone over hearing them.

"I completely understand," Hermione answered.

"Alright then Miss here is your book, and I hope you have a nice day," the man said as he handed her the book which was now wrapped in brown paper.

"You too," Hermione replied, walking toward the door, which Liam was already opening for her.

"Did you have a nice time?" he inquired, as they started to wonder down the sidewalk.

"Oh yes, I had a marvelous time! I haven't been in a shop in so long I was starting to forget what one looked like!"

"I'm glad. What book did you get?" he asked, pointing to the wrapped parcel under her arm.

"Oh, it was a book on ancient Rome, it looks amazing. I can't wait to start reading," Hermione answered in excitement.

"Sounds fascinating. Err… where to now?" Liam asked.

Much to her displeasure Hermione felt herself blushing, she badly needed clothes, but she felt oddly self-conscious.

"Um… I need to go into some sort of dress shop."

"Alright then, since there are benches all along shops, I'll wait for you while you do some shopping," he said.

"Thanks Liam."

As he walked away, Hermione approached the nearest dress shop and examined the outside. The exterior paint was fading and peeling in many places from the harsh weather the area saw each year. The sign above the door, which read_ Florence's Ladies and Dress Shop,_ was also in bad shape. As Hermione began to open the heavy and old wooden door, she had to refrain from sneezing when a gust of overly perfumed and humid air came from inside the shop. Hermione wrinkled her nose as she fully stepped inside and shut the door behind her.

The first impression that Hermione had when she glanced all around the interior was the same as the outside, old. The carpet, she noticed, had holes in many spots, there was stains as well, and the paint on the walls was drab, just like the outside of the building. There was only sole person in the shop was an older women, maybe in her early sixties, with silvery gray hair, and the longest fake plastic fingernails Hermione had ever seen. The woman looked up from a tabloid magazine, when the bell above the door tinkled.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked.

"No thank you, I'm just going to browse; if that's alright?" Hermione replied.

"Oh, yes, that is perfectly alright. If you need any help just say so," the woman said, as she turned back to her magazine.

Hermione said thank you once more and began to look through some of the racks. She looked through skirts, blouses, and dress pants before she gave up and began to look for something else. Good fancy clothes were absolutely useless, Hermione reasoned to herself. In the very back of the shop she found a more casual section. Here there were things like denim jeans and plainer cotton shirts, exactly what she needed. While Hermione knew she probably wouldn't get another chance for quite sometime to buy clothes, she also knew that she could buy very few things because of she needed to save her funds.

Hermione picked out two pairs of jeans, several long or short sleeve shirts, much-needed bras and panties. Believing she had everything she needed Hermione laid the final things over her arm and went back to the checkout counter.

"Excuse me, where is your fitting room?" Hermione asked the woman, who had now gone on to a newspaper.

"Just through that curtain there," she responded, gesturing toward a curtain in the corner.

Hermione thanked the woman with a nod and headed for that direction. Just before entering the pink striped curtain that led to the dressing room, something bright red caught her eye. She turned toward the garment, and immediately a red-hot blush began to creep up her neck and onto her face. She looked back at the checkout counter, making sure the woman was once again reading and quickly snatched it from its neatly placed spot on the shelf. Then with speed and agility she didn't know she had, Hermione sprinted the rest of the way to the curtain and dashed through it. Once in, Hermione found herself in a small square room, the room was completely bare except for three other curtains just like the other one. She picked the nearest one to her and quickly went into it.

After she had made sure the curtain was closed properly, Hermione allowed herself to look closer at the scant piece of clothing. She bit her lip and held it close to herself; it was a two-piece lingerie set. It was skimpy, a dangerous red color, lacy, and of course satin.

_"Dear Merlin, what am I thinking? I can't buy this! It's scandalous!"_ Hermione thought desperately

_"But I'm sure it would please Ron…"_ that annoying little voice inside her head whispered enticingly.

_"No!" _

_"Honey, you're not getting any younger. You should embrace your sexuality." _

Making up her mind, Hermione turned over the tag and searched for the price. When she found it her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

_"How can anything be that expensive?"_ Hermione thought to herself.

She had plenty of muggle money, but she may need that as an emergency some day. No, it was a waste of money, Hermione reasoned firmly.

_"Unless, I could duplicate it… It's a very simple spell, and it isn't like it would be steeling. I could just put the original back where I found it and then just pay for the other things and walk out." _

And so with her adrenaline racing Hermione quickly duplicated the red apparel, stripped off her clothes, and proceeded to figure out how to put the thing on. Once she had figured out how to put it on (it really wasn't that difficult but because of her shaking hands, it made it twice as hard) and had fastened all the hooks and closers in the back she stood in front of the mirror. She scrutinized herself closely, frowning all the while.

_"I'm far too pale,"_ Hermione thought mournfully

Having decided what she was going to do Hermione took off the lingerie and as quickly as possible she tried on the rest of the things. Finding that they all fit, she then hurriedly put back on her own clothes, made sure that everything was orderly, that she had shrunken the duplicate so that it would fit in her purse, and walked back out.

Shifting the heavy clothes that were over her arm, Hermione put back the original red garment and walked up to the counter. When she set the clothes on the counter to be rung up, the lady behind it looked up from her newspaper, she seemed more than a bit annoyed at yet another irruption.

"Are you ready to check out now?" the lady asked.

"Yes, I am."

It didn't take long at all for the other woman to be done. After Hermione had paid the money for the clothes she walked out the door to go find Liam. She found him sitting a on bench a few doors down from Florence's Ladies and Dress Shop.

"I'm sorry I was so long," Hermione said after she walked up to him.

"You weren't too long," Liam assured her.

Hermione, relieved, said, "I'm ready to leave now if you are."

"Excellent, let's start walking back." he said, standing up.

Hermione turned back around to have one last look at the town of Highwood as they started the long walk back to the cavern.

_

* * *

_

_That night… _

_  
_"Without any approval, you just go and plan to be gone for two bloody months!"

Ron rolled his eyes upward toward the heavens as he continued to be berated by Orwell Prewett, a very distant cousin of his, who had a worse demeanor than his old potions master. He also couldn't admit that he was no longer Ron's superior.

"Weasley you are a slacker and your father was a slacker! You have absolutely no sense of responsibility; you go around like you own the whole damn world!" the middle aged man yelled once more, his face a sickening mixture of blue and red.

Ron felt his blood boil but thankfully he kept his temper under control.

"Orie that was uncalled for," Ron said using the other man's hated nickname to get even farther under his skin, "I do not have to ask for approval from you, but I did ask Hendricks and he gave me the permission I needed."

Orwell looked like he was about to smoke from the ears.

"You bastard!" he managed through gritted teeth, "how are even going to get there? I suppose you are going to take up some else's precious time."

"Bye Orie," Ron said exasperatedly, and so with a flick of his wand the door of his office sprang open.

"I'm going to report you to Hendricks for your insolence Weasley!"

"Good bye Orwell."

Looking like he was about to start bouncing off the walls in anger and loathing, Orwell stomped out through the door and it slammed shut with another flick of Ron's wand. The redhead really didn't know how much more of that man he could take before Ron did something stupid like hexing him, and then as a result get himself fired. Ron rubbed his temples and sighed, he hated headaches.

He decided that he was done for the day and began to gather some papers. Luckily for Ron his room was only a short walk from his office. He had gotten word that Hermione had returned safely from her shopping excursion, and was hoping with everything he had that she would be in his room when he got there. She had said she might sneak to his room after dinner, but it was so late that she was probably already asleep.

Before he knew it, Ron was standing in front of the door to his room. He whispered 'Chudley Cannons rule' and opened the door. Without looking around he walked into his room, closed the door behind him, and locked it and placed silencing charms on the room before he turned around. Ron was shocked beyond all belief by what he saw. Hermione was stretched out on his bed, obviously waiting for him, and dressed in a naughty bra and panties set.

"Hello Ron,' she said in the sexiest voice she could muster.

"Err… hi."

"How was your day?" Hermione whispered.

"Um… it just got a lot better," Ron croaked out, still in shock, "how was your day?"

"Marvelous," Hermione breathed, arching her back ever so slightly, pushing her lace, covered breasts into the air.

Ron's jaw dropped but was soon replaced by a goofy grin.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to my reviewers!**

**Teaser: **

"_Reducto!" Hermione and Ron, both of them lying on their back, screamed together aiming at the creature that was stalking toward them. The thing, caught off guard, was hit by both curses and was blown across the clearing, with a crunch it hit a tree, and slumped to the ground._

_Ron jumped to his feet and joined the fray, aiming curse after curse at the beasts. Hermione followed suit. _

_The curses lighted up the clearing and Jabir's sword could be heard by all, swinging through the air and making contact with the vampires, usually their necks. Hermione's wand became warm under her hand as she concentrated all her magical energy on her curses. _

"_Stupef--," Hermione began, but was cut off by something suddenly hitting her back, and knocking her to the ground with an 'oomph.' _

**Please Review!**


	8. Eyes Shining in the Dark

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.

No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and it is for entertainment purposes only.

_A/N: I hope this is an improvement over the last chapter, I like this one quite a bit better I must say. This is where the story really starts, so it was a blast to write. I hope you all like it and please review! Oh and by the way, the betaed version is up on chapter 7._

**  
Chapter 8: Eyes Shining in the Dark**

"We're being followed," Andrea admitted to her team, trying not to let the bewilderment show itself in her voice.

There were immediate gasps and whisperings. Those three simple words were something that travelers dreaded. Travelers, like Andrea Gibbers, had frequent nightmares about these words. Death Eaters often followed travelers, sometimes ending in death. The followers of the Dark Lord were always merciless. Then there were the creatures that aided these humans: vampires, demons, serpents, and dementors, they were much worse.

Andrea did not want to give this news to them all, but there was more. How could she tell them that they could not outrun the _things _that were tailing them? She was nearly certain that they were not human, nothing with a beating heart could travel so fast. Something else was troubling her though, she was frightened; she did not know what was following them. It could be a herd of demons following them, vampires out for sweet blood, or perhaps dementors sent out by their master, Lord Voldemort, to suck out their very souls. Andrea could not understand why she did not know what these things were. She had more than six years experience, even more than the four years that the entire Wizarding world had been hiding.

Andrea had hoped they wouldn't have any trouble trekking through the wild forests of Wales. They had been on the trail for one week and had not had any trouble besides encounters with animals of the non-magical type, fatigue, and issues of going through muggle towns. It had surprised her greatly when Jabir had told her that he had gotten word from Ron. What he had said next surprised her even more, they would be changing their course and heading back the way they had come, back to cavern 34. Her team, two scouts and three other men were not pleased by the sudden change in plans, but they agreed when Andrea reminded them of the hefty sum they were getting paid by Jabir. She herself had been a bit irritated by the news. She would have told Jabir Hassan to take a hike if it had been another one of her past employers, but she had a soft spot for the man. Which is why she agreed and did not quit.

Her heart had sunk when one of her two scouts came back from circling their perimeter and told her of seeing smoke in the distance. The next day she went to see for herself. She did not see any evidence of campfires, but she did find something even more startling: tracks. Tracks that were similar to that of a wolf but twice its normal size. Andrea also found evidence of giant footprints, common to a vampire. The wolf-like footprints were the most unsettling. They were similar to a werewolves but it was common knowledge that vampires and werewolves were mortal enemies.

Vampires were tall creatures, sometimes reaching above nine feet tall. Nearly all vampires had red gleaming eyes that sparkled like rubies, and fangs that pierced the skin. While many believed that being bitten by a vampire would turn the bitten into its attacker, they would be mistaken. It takes a ritual to become a vampire. That's what made vampires particularly dangerous, the creatures were shrouded in mystery.

"Who is following us?" Hermione asked. She wasn't surprised like the others were though; she had heard Ron and Andrea whispering to each other about something following them.

"I don't know, but I do know it's not human." Andrea answered.

A snort of indignation came from the midst of the group. "I thought it was your job to know what the hell is out there, Gibbers. Or is your job too hard?"

"You will show proper respect to the lady!" Jabir roared, hand on the hilt of his sword.

Then the other man, named Worthington (nobody knew his first name), retorted.

"You infidel!" Jabir growled, beginning to draw his sword.

Hermione heard Ron sigh and draw his wand. Ron hurried forward, his wand in his hand and his arm outstretched. He pushed his way past the crowd of about nine people; Hermione followed him closely.

"Do not draw that sword!" Ron yelled emerging in the small clearing that had formed around the Jabir and the other man.

Jabir though did not listen, he charged forward ready to strike. Ron, trying to avoid a gory fight that would ensue, too began to go forward. Hermione though, had other ideas. She grabbed the back of her boyfriend's cloak and held on tightly and drew her own wand.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ Hermione yelled, her wand pointed at Jabir. Immediately the sword flew out of Jabir's hand and hit a tree. And to finish it, _"petrificus totalus!"_ Jabir froze and then fell to the ground.

Ron looked down at Jabir in shock and then turned to Hermione.

"Why did you do that for?' Ron asked, slightly irritated.

"So you wouldn't get yourself stabbed," Hermione answered simply, placing her wand in her robe pocket.

"You didn't need to do that, I had the situation completely under control," Ron disagreed.

"Well, that is certainly showing gratitude," Hermione said, piqued.

"I didn't need any help."

"Would you two please stop bickering! You're giving me a headache," Andrea spoke up, reversing Hermione's spell so that Jabir could stand.

"Sorry about that Mr. Hassan," Hermione apologized.

"That's quite all right Ms. Granger. I did lose my temper," Jabir assured her, bowing, but then standing back up and glaring at Worthington. The other man glared back.

"Andrea what were you saying?" Hermione asked, turning toward the only other woman there.

Andrea closed her eyes and stood there without answering for a moment. She had trouble admitting to herself that she was scared. Fright was something that was a weakness, something that would probably going to get them all killed, or worse.

"I've seen tracks and Scott's seen evidence of a magical fire," Andrea finally spoke, gesturing toward one of the scouts. "What ever these things are, they're following us and these things move fast. We cannot, and I repeat, cannot outrun them. If we try we'll drop dead from exhaustion."

"What do we do than? We can't just sit around and wait for them to get us," Jabir's assistant, Clyde Payton, spoke up, looking grave.

"We continue to move at our currant speed and we prepare for the inevitable fight," Andrea replied.

There were no more questions. They all had their answers, and they couldn't even comprehend what would come next.

_Two days later..._

Hermione didn't know what to do and she hated it. There were no other options but to stand and fight. She, being _the_ Hermione Granger, wanted to fix this new problem they were now in. But after two nights of very little sleep Hermione came to a very tough conclusion, there was no other option but to stand and fight. And from what Andrea said, they had very little time to prepare for the battle, that with out a doubt would come. Andrea calculated and told them bluntly that at their current place the things that were chasing them would catch them the next day.

Hermione could barely stand the worry and anxiousness. After Andrea had told them all of what they were facing, Hermione and Ron had a quiet conversation on what they were going to do. Hermione knew Ron was tempted to split up from the group and try to lose what ever was behind them, but they both came to the same conclusion: it was a stupid idea. For one thing, if they did leave, it would only buy them a short amount of time until the things caught up to them. The second thing was safety in numbers. Hermione also knew that Ron did not feel comfortable leaving everyone to fend for themselves. Hermione agreed to this also.

Hermione hated being hopeless and unable to figure out a solution, it was her nature. Another thing she hated was being scared. Sadly though, Hermione did not know what scared really meant, not yet anyways.

* * *

These mortals who think themselves so great, are nothing but ants to be crushed under feet; small and worthless ants. They wave their fancy sticks around, thinking they are better than everyone else, but the great beings know better. The mortals, or wizards as they called themselves, could easily be crushed. The great beings who haunt the earth have knowledge of its secrets. Mother earth, named Rhea, whispers to them, telling them of history now long gone. How everything came into being, and how one of her sons, Zeus, conquered his father, the god of the heavens; and how the story did not end there. She told them a story that only she knew, of how Apollo, god of prophecy, created what we now know as wizards and muggles. These were secrets that she told them, and with these secrets, the great beings hoped to conquer the weak mortals.

Not all great beings were created equal though; others betray them. The great beings will not admit to how many betray them. The betrayers make it their life's work to being the sworn enemies of the great beings, no matter what the cost. But because both the great beings and the betrayers live in absolute secrecy, very few mortals know the truth.

* * *

Hermione was now running for her life, and so were the others. Andrea had miscalculated: the things were upon them faster than anybody had imagined. It was an ominous howl that had alerted them to _their _presence. They had stopped for the night and were eating what was left of that day's food, when the howl had echoed throughout the trees. And so, like lightning, they were hoisting their packs onto their backs and then beginning to run.

Hermione's hand was clasped in Ron as they ran together. Her legs felt like they had turned to lead and it was becoming harder and harder to keep up with the others, but she willed her herself to continue. Hermione knew that getting separated from the rest of the group would be fatal. They had run about a half of a mile when everyone suddenly came to a halt in a clearing.

They all gasped for breath as they tried to get oxygen into her lungs.

"Form a circle, quickly!" Andrea hissed.

They were all absolutely silent as they formed a circle, their backs facing each other, and their wands out ready to defend themselves. Their breathing was ragged and hoarse. Hermione grasped Ron's hand as she tried to calm to herself.

"If the person beside you goes down, continue to fight, do not pause." Andrea again hissed to them all.

Hermione kept her eyes wide open as she strained to hear the sound of their approach. It seemed like hours as she stood there stock-still, waiting. Ron did not move either; instead he held her hand, ready to protect her. Then, she heard it. A rustling sound of something approaching. Ron obviously heard it too because he squeezed her hand tighter.

"Run when I tell you to. Keep running, don't look back," Ron whispered so quietly that Hermione could barely hear him.

Hermione wanted to protest but she couldn't make a sound, instead a lone tear escaped and slid down her cheek. The rustling sounds became ever louder as they came closer and closer. The first thing Hermione saw were a pair of red eyes to her right, that appeared as if they were suspended in mid air. Hermione's heart continued to beat wildly, thumping against her chest. Then after the first pair of eyes gleamed through the night, more appeared.

"Well look here boys, don't these pretty girls and boys look tasty," the thing in front of her drawled as it emerged into the clearing. It was a vampire, but like no other vampire Hermione had ever seen. It was tall, like Vampires, but she noticed that its fangs were longer than normal and were dripping a pearly white substance. In the moonlight she could also see long fingernails that were sharpened to a point, like a knife.

"Yes they do," another one said, this time behind her, "I haven't had a tasty female in many months, Miroslav."

"Yes, tasty they are," another one, this one to Hermione's left, drawled.

"Leave us be! We mean you and your forest no harm," Andrea hollered, breaking their silence.

Hermione knew, and so did the rest, that their enemy would not back off; hell would first freeze over.

"I do not think so mortal. Our lord and master will pleased at our kill. There is no escape for you, lay down your pathetic sticks of wood and we will make this as painless as possible," the one named Miroslav, who seemed to be the leader, hissed.

Hermione knew what was coming next, there was no getting around it, they would fight for their lives. She also knew that there was little hope of winning. Hermione, book worm extraordinaire, Head Girl, and fighter of two major battles between them and Voldemort, was trying to remember everything she had ever learned about Vampires and their ways. Everyone knew that Vampires could not be killed except by means of cremation or a stake driven through the heart of the beast. But only in their dreams could they build a fire, knock the vampires out, and then throw the bodies onto the fire. There was also a lack of wooden stakes. There were spells that could be used in the defeat of a vampire, but these spells could only buy them time. Even if they managed to wound a number of the vampires, the creatures would recover quickly.

Then an animalistic snarl pierced through the air, and right after it came a scream.

"ATTACK!" their enemies cried, darting forward.

Hermione acting quickly, pushed Ron out of the way, and then she too dived to the ground, avoiding the charging vampire that had been coming straight at them.

"Reducto!" Hermione and Ron, both of them lying on their back, screamed together. The thing stalking towards them, caught off guard, was hit by both curses and was blown across the clearing. With a crunch it hit a tree, and slumped to the ground.

Ron jumped to his feet and joined the fray, aiming curse after curse at the beasts. Hermione followed suit.

The curses lighted up the clearing and Jabir's sword could be heard by all, swinging through the air and making contact with the vampires, usually their necks. Hermione's wand became warm under her hand as she concentrated all her magical energy on her curses.

"Stupef--," Hermione began, but was cut off by something suddenly hitting her back, and knocking her to the ground with an _'oomph.' _

Something landed on her and grabbed a fist full of her hair, jerking her head back, revealing her neck to the vampire on top of her. On pure instinct, her arms flew above her head and grabbed hold of its head. She pushed upward with all of her might but it was stronger than her, the vampire took hold of her arms and twisted them. Hermione screamed in agony as she felt the tendons in her arms give way. The thing slammed her arms into the ground and clamped a hand around her wrists, holding her firmly. Then, a piercing pain went through her shoulder, it felt like five knives tearing into her left shoulder. The vampire had dug his nails into her skin with his free hand. She was totally defenseless, her wand having flown out of reach, as she continued to scream. The vampire jerked her head back once more. Then, almost just as suddenly as the vampire had jumped on her, the beast was thrown off of her. Ron's foot had connected with the thing's gut causing the vampire to fly off of her.

Hermione stumbled to her feet, blood running from the wounds on her shoulder, and began to look around for her wand; she soon found it just a few feet away. Wand in hand, she surveyed the fight. Four of them had already fallen, leaving only five of them. She could still see Jabir's sword swinging, she also saw Andrea, and Jabir's assistant, but to her horror she could no longer see Ron. Then she saw him, dueling with one of the vampires on the sidelines. She ran forward.

"INCENDIO!" Hermione cried.

Ron jumped out of the way as the vampire burst into flames. It screeched terribly as it splayed about, waving its arms madly. It wasn't more than a few seconds later that the vampire gave one more horrible wail and with a crack it disappeared, leaving behind a small pile of ashes. She had actually killed it.

"Run!" yelled Ron, just a few feet away from her, "get out of here!"

Hermione shook her head, no.

"Damn it Hermione, run!" Ron repeated, pushing her toward the tree line. "I'll be right behind you."

She stumbled slightly, but by some unseen force she began to run, rather clumsily, out of the clearing. Hermione didn't want to flee but she did. Just out of the clearing, she dared a look behind her as she ran, bad idea. She tripped, landing on her face, but she did catch a glimpse of Ron cursing a vampire who had tried to follow her. Picking herself up, she once again began to run, avoiding fallen branches and dips in the forest floor. She had run a ways when she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. A scream of pain had echoed through out the forest, the sound bouncing off the trees and then reaching her ears. She knew that scream from years ago; it was Ron's scream. Breaths coming in great gasps, Hermione found herself unable to move.

Just as she was about to head back to Ron and join the fight once more, something hit her head with great force. Hermione crumpled to her knees, and just before she blacked out, she saw a tall figure, towering over her, eyes shining in the dark.

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**A/N: So what did you think? There will only be a short teaser, so I don't give too much away.**

**Teaser: **

"_Camps?" Hermione asked, puzzled._

"_Yes, camps. Horrid places they are. It's where they take you and you never come back. There are different kinds of camps: breeding, death, and torture camps. Sick the lot of them!"_

"_Breeding camps?" she said quietly, not liking the sound of that one bit._

**Thanks to my beta fanfictionsissy!**

**Please review!**


	9. Extreme Ways

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.

No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and it is for entertainment purposes only.

**Warning: This chapter includes disturbing subject matter, including, but not limited to, attempted rape. I believe that these factors constitutes an "R" or "M" rating. So the rating has been changed to "M". You have been warned. While there will not be another chapter of this graphic nature, the rating change had been made.**

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**Chapter 9: Extreme Ways**

Hermione felt as if she was drowning; it was the oddest feeling she had ever experienced. There was no gravity, but instead she was floating; just hanging around where time no longer mattered. But the most frightening was the fact that she could not bring air into her lungs. Instead, water rushed in, drowning her. Hermione felt sure that any minute she was going to die; after all, she used logic, even when she dreamed, and the logic was telling her that she would soon die because of the lack of oxygen going to her brain. Just as she was about to forever sink into the never-ending blackness, a scream echoed eerily through out her mind. The scream was so sudden and alarming that she startled into wakefulness.

Hermione breathed hard as she began to panic, having no clue where she was. Everything was completely dark and she couldn't seem to move. That frightened her the most, the feel of icy cold metal against her wrists and ankles.

"I have to calm down," Hermione spoke aloud, feeling oddly shocked to hear her own voice against the silence.

She slowed her breathing as she strained all of her senses. Hermione focused on the feel of the rough texture that was against her back, she reasoned that she was lying on a blanket of some kind. She also reasoned that she must be on a mattress because she did not feel hard ground pressing into her back. But still she continued to see and hear absolutely nothing.

How long she lay there Hermione could not discern, but she knew one thing, the situation was becoming bleaker by the minute. As she lay there, Hermione's mind was running wild. Her thoughts went from the day her parents died, to her first day at Hogwarts. She had not thought about such things for many years, finding them too painful. Then her thoughts drifted from the past to the present. Where was she? What would happen to her? What had happened to the rest? Was Ron all right? Hermione couldn't bare the thought of something happening to him. After being intimately close to him, she concluded that she could no longer survive without Ron: he was her rock.

Hermione began to count the seconds: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9... 100, 101, 102, 103... 500, 501, 502... 750, 751, 752, and so on until she got to 2639, at which she heard a faint rustling. Immediately snapped out of her counting reverie, Hermione focused all she could on the sound. Her breathing accelerated, and her heart began to beat wildly once more, but she did not hear the rustling for several minutes. Then she began to hear it more and more, coming toward her.

"Who's there?" Hermione whimpered, freaking out and beginning to feel slightly claustrophobic.

The rustling paused but began anew again. In desperation she tried to slink away from the sound that was coming toward her, but she couldn't even move an inch. She was trapped. The rustling stopped again, this time right in front of her. Then she felt it, a soft, grazing touch against the bare skin of her abdomen. Hermione yelped in fright. She had not known she was shirtless, but she was. All she was wearing was her knickers.

"Hello my pet," a silky voice whispered in her ear.

She gasped at the sudden feel of icy cold breath against her ear. "I'm warning you! Stay away from me!"

The man chuckled, "I do not think you are in a position to make demands. Spread out before me like Aphrodite."

"I mean it!" Hermione shrieked.

The man, or creature in front of her did not answer. Instead, his abnormally cold fingers began to make circles around her navel.

"For a mortal you are very beautiful. Your skin is porcelain to my fingertips, and your body is that of a goddess. Are you in fact Aphrodite herself? Are you the beauty who tempts us, the one who makes us whither?" the vampire (Hermione was now fairly certain that it was a vampire) thought aloud, his hand now leaving her navel and traveling upwards.

"Please, no!"

But the vampire chose not to hear her; instead he bent down to her ear and nibbled on her earlobe.

"I'm going to make you scream, Aphrodite. You will pant for me to take you, and then you will be mine," he hissed, lips crashing down to hers.

He kiss was rough, and his hands were even more forceful as he squeezed her breast, palms running over her cotton-covered nipples. He forced his tongue into her mouth, relishing in her taste. Hermione screamed into his mouth as she tried to shrink away from him, but it was, as before, no use.

He released her lips, almost hesitantly. He stared down at her with red eyes, taking her in.

"Light," he whispered, continuing to stare down at her. As soon as the word left his lips, the one single candle in the room was lighted. Finally, Hermione could see her surroundings. She was in a small room, which had no windows. Also the walls, ceiling, and floors were all covered in a dark, rough stone. She, as she had thought, was on a small bed. The posts of the bed were rickety and scratched, they looked ancient. The towering figure standing above her was at least seven feet tall; he had sharp features: a pointed chin, long nose, high forehead, and long, scraggly brown hair.

"Up!" the vampire suddenly roared. The rusted, metal clasps around her wrists and ankles sprang away from her, releasing her.

Hermione jumped up from the room and attempted to run to the door in the center of the dungeon type room. But sadly she wasn't even able to touch the doorknob, when she was snapped up around waist by his iron tight grip.

"Put me down and let me go!" she screamed, as she pushed against his arms.

"Shut up! Be still!" the vampire hissed into her ear, pushing her against the wall and lifting her up.

Hermione didn't think she had ever been so frightened. She knew what would likely happen to her, she felt his hardness poking her soft stomach. All the books she had read couldn't help her now; she had no wand, no means of escape, and the vampire was too strong to even try hand-to-hand combat.

"You are beautiful, I could make you into a Goddess, though. Why do you struggle so? I do not mean to hurt you, but you struggle, making me hunger you," he whispered, sensuously, into her ear.

Once again he kissed her, but this time Hermione felt his fangs begin to emerge, they pierced her bottom lip, and Hermione tasted the metallic bitterness that was blood. She pushed against him, and as before it did not nothing but fuel him.

He growled as he released her lips, "you will not resist me." he smirked at her as blood ran down her chin. "How should I punish you? Perhaps this will make you see reason."

He grasped her bushy hair and jerked her head to the side. He growled again as the skin of her neck was revealed.

"I ache for you mortal, don't you feel it? My fangs long to impale the soft skin of you neck."

"No, please…" Hermione begged.

The vampire only chuckled, as he began to lower his mouth to her neck. First, he let his tongue dart out, to taste the saltiness of her skin, and then, when he could no longer hold himself, his fangs replaced his tongue. Her pulse drummed in his ears as his long, pointed incisors scraped her skin. He gave one more growl, more like a snarl this time, as he reared back and plunged his fangs into her body, drinking greedily from the blood racing through her veins.

Hermione shrieked as she felt something red-hot begin to mix with the blood in her body, it spread from her neck downward. She realized to her horror that it was arousal. Questions began to race through her mind. What was he doing to her? Why am I feeling this? She inadvertently moaned as he began to grind his pelvis into her. He jerked his head back, pulling his fangs away. She slumped against him, gasping for breath, feeling like she had just run a marathon.

"What the hell are you doing Adeben?" said a gruff voice behind the door.

"What do you want?" the vampire, who was obviously named Adeben, hissed turning to look around at the abruption.

"Miroslav wants us to gather in the sacrifice chamber," the other vampire answered, looking amused.

Adeben growled and turned back around and unceremoniously dropped Hermione to the floor, she yelped when she hit the floor, scraping and cutting herself on the stone floor.

"I'll be back," he hissed down at her, and then turned, robes billowing as he did so, and exited, slamming the door behind him.

Hermione continued to lie, crumpled, on the floor for quite sometime after that. She was shaking uncontrollably but not from cold. It was fright and something else. She rose, shakily, to her feet. Thankfully, the candle was still burning, so she could still see.

"Where am I?" she whispered aloud, leaning against the rock wall for support.

"Where do you think you are?" a hoarse voice said back.

Hermione yelped once again, and then limped to the old wooden door that had a small, bared, opening at the top. Her scraped and bleeding hands, grasped the bars as she looked into the corridor outside of her room. The narrow hall was lighted by flaming torches on each side, illuminating more doors, much like hers.

"Who's there?" Hermione asked.

"Name's Arthur Benedict Moon, what's yours?" the same hoarse voice whispered back.

"Um… Hermione Granger."

"Nice to meet you Hermione Granger," the man said again, this time appearing in the door just to the right of Hermione's. She could see him fully because unlike the rest of the doors, this one was all steel bars.

She gasped at the man's appearance, he was thin by all imagination. Hermione could count every single rib.

"How long have you been here?" Hermione asked with wide eyes.

"Two months, or, at least I think it's been two months. May be longer, I don't know," the man uttered sadly, looking almost ashamed for some reason.

Hermione had no clue where she was or what would become of her, but it consoled her to know that there was someone just outside the door.

"They're not, all so bad. Many, have been brainwashed, so to speak, by what they consider their Gods. When I get out of here I'm going to do some serious research on how Vampires adopted the ancient Greek religion. Nearly all of them are doing what they believe Mother Earth, Rhea, is telling them to do. It's absurd! But others are just out for blood. They don't care whose side they're on as long as they get some fresh meat and women on a regular basis. Sick, all of them! Absurd they are!" Mr. Moon rambled looking oddly engrossed.

"They turn very few of us. Too damn lazy if you ask me. Just don't want to bother with the whole ritual, binding thing. And besides there are more of them than there has ever been, why would they turn us in to them, the sick, ghastly, absurd, little shits. _They_ would rather just drink their full and then relish in our slow demise. Sick! And then there are the camps! If you think we're in Hell, little missy, you would be wrong! There are worse things than starvation, rape, and death! I've seen the camps with my own hungry eyes. I have, I tell you I have! They're all breeders, making new weapons out of our own offspring. New ways to kill us all, one by one. Sick! While the Vampires do not know it, there too damn blind, but all they are slaves to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Sick!" he continued to ramble, now gasping for breath; he had obviously winded himself.

"Camps?" Hermione asked, puzzled.

"Yes, camps. Horrid places they are. It's where they take you and you never come back. There are different kinds of camps: breeding, death, and torture camps. Sick the lot of them!"

"Breeding camps?" she said quietly, not liking the sound of that one bit.

"Haven't you one thing I have said, girl? They breed--"

"HEY SHUT UP DOWN THERE! NO TALKING!" a sudden roaring voice screamed down the hall. Instantly they both jerked away from their respective doors.

Hermione turned around and darted to the other side of room, shaking with fright. She winced as she stood on her bloody and cut feet. Running as well as walking on the stone floor was very painful. She looked at the bed chains wearily, there was no way in Hell she was going to get back on that bed, even if she did feel dead tired and her feet felt like they were burning. Having a sudden idea, Hermione limped purposely toward the bed and pulled the two, thin blankets from the bed. She placed one on the ground and the other she wrapped around herself. She sat down painfully and began to purposely shut down her mind; all she wanted to do was sleep and not think, at all.

* * *

Much to Hermione's relief, the vampire did not return, in fact she didn't even see any of her captors. But once a day a plate of food was passed under the gap between the door and the floor; this meager meal a day did not sustain her, so gnawing hunger was always present. She talked to know one but Mr. Moon who, Hermione had to admit, was more than a bit mad. There were other people that occupied that part of the dungeon, but they did not speak, instead they made themselves known by broken sobs and screams. Hermione had never heard anything like it, the constant screaming was going to drive her insane, and Hermione knew this. She knew, she had to get out of there, but how was the main question. The door was never opened, not even to let her use the facilities, instead a hole in the floor was used. Yes, Hermione was going to crack sooner or later, she prayed it would be later.

Little did Hermione know, she had an ally. It was four days after her capture, when an ice-cold hand was placed over her mouth and she was yanked from the bed.

"Be quiet, I mean you no harm," someone, or something, firmly said behind her. The hold on her arm was firm but gentle.

"I am going to remove my hand from your mouth. You will not scream or try to flee."

Hermione noticed for the first time that the door was wide open, beckoning her. Her escape was near, but she nodded weakly.

"Good," he muttered, removing his hand, but keeping the hold on her arm.

She whirled around to look at who was behind her. She was shocked to see, in the dim light, that it was a vampire, but this one was different. He was blond with a rectangular face, but was most striking was his eyes. They were not the angry red or black, as was common for a vampire, instead they were an odd pale green; Hermione had never seen such a color.

'What--," Hermione began.

"No talking," was his curt reply. "Put this on," the vampire said, throwing a cloak to her.

With wide eyes she complied, putting on the thick, warm cloak. Then with one final look out the door, he again tightened the grip on her arm and dragged her out the door. Hermione had no clue what was going on but she was thankful that she was finally out of that room. The vampire never stopped as they went up several flights of stairs, took sudden corners, and passed many rooms.

"Where are you--," Hermione began again, trying to get some answers.

"No talking," he hissed.

They continued to steadily go up, hopefully getting closer and closer to the outside world. Hermione had just caught sight of a patch of light on the wall when she was jerked into the shadows. She was absolutely silent as she held her breath.

"Derek what are you doing up here? You're supposed to be on level three," hissed a sudden voice that was to her right.

"Urgent message, Miroslav told me to get up here immediately," the vampire, obviously named Derek, that was blocking her from sight answered stiffly.

Hermione risked a peak, looking under the vampire's arm at the other vampire.

"I didn't get any such message," said the other vampire, suspiciously.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Derek hissed, continuing to block her with his body.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. I've never liked you Derek, you're father was a great leader, but you are weak."

"My father was a bastard who tortured his own sons. I would be careful if I were you," Derek hissed dangerously.

The other vampire smirked, looking triumphant about getting under the other vampire's skin. Then, suddenly, there was a deep rumbling of a growl. Hermione looked around wildly, looking for the source, it was neither of the two vampires. Hermione refrained from gasping when she saw the source of the growl emerge into the dim light. It was a creature she had never seen in her entire life; it stood hunched over, at about 5 feet. It was hairy all over with a long snout and huge eyes. To Hermione it looked like a cross between a human and a wolf, but there was something else, a feature that reminded her of something, but she couldn't place it.

"Goodbye Derek, it was nice knowing you," laughed the other vampire, snapping his fingers. The unknown creature gave one more growl and lunged toward them. Hermione screamed as the thing's long teeth sunk into Derek's arm, spraying dark red blood everywhere.

"RUN!" Derek screamed at her as the wolf-thing hung onto his arm relentlessly. She dodged the other vampire's attempt to grab her and ran toward the week source of light. She came to a door, wretched it open and was immediately met with blaring daylight. She was out, and she couldn't believe it.

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**A/N: I'm sorry for the late update, but I have been busier than what is the norm. I hoped you all liked this chapter, and I also hope that the rating change will not stop you from reading my story.**

**Chapter 10, unfortunately, will probably be late like this one. I'm sorry! But I'm having trouble with a particular scene and after I'm done I have to get done with Chapter 11, which i think will be a difficult one to write. So please hang in there, it won't be too long. ;) **


	10. Best Mates and Midnight Commotion

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.

No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and it is for entertainment purposes only.

_A/N: I would like to dedicate this chapter to two of my reviewers: dreamy-crazygirl and RainDateChick. Both of you inspired me to write this super-long chapter which is 4782 words long. I would also like to dedicate this chapter to Danica Patrick, the first woman to ever lead a lap at the Indy 500. She and her car survived wrecks and a bad case of stalling in the pits. She finished in 4th place (which is great) but at the end I thought she was going to get 1st, but it just wasn't to be. There's always next year, right! _

_Thank you to my beta, fanfictionsissy!_

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**Chapter 10: Best Mates and Midnight Commotion **

Harry had a headache. A pounding, feeling like you're going to die, kind of headache. Come to think of it, Harry decided that these kinds of headaches were commonly called migraines. While he would usually be lying down, or perhaps taking a potion brewed by Mrs. Weasley to get rid of the pain, things were far to hectic now; which was probably why he had the headache in the first place. Harry hated hectic, he hated crowds, but most of all he hated, (you guessed it), headaches.

"Our only option is to stay here, at least until we locate Ms. Granger," Emmiline Vance said with a sigh.

"That is the only option, it isn't like we can just hightail it out of here," Harry growled under his breath, glaring at the woman. He didn't like her; she was too self-centered and usually only thought of her self.

Emmiline stared back at him, not breaking eye contact. When Mr. Weasley cleared his throat, Emmiline's eyes flickered away from his.

"_Hah! I won!"_ Harry thought to himself, rejoicing over his victory in the staring contest. He turned to look back at Mr. Weasley after Emmiline's eyes had moved from his. Remus was looking pointedly at him; Harry rolled his eyes and sat father back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"There are other things to think about," McGonagall spoke up, "how _are _we going to locate Ms. Granger? Alastor, any ideas?"

Mad-Eye snorted and thought for a moment, continuing to chew on his toothpick. He had been oddly silent throughout the whole ordeal. From when two people had showed up, unexpectedly, carrying Ronald Weasley's badly bruised and bloodied up body.

"Vampires, deadly business. That bloke with the sword, Weasley, and that woman are lucky they're not dead," Mad-Eye Moody growled.

"Or worse, captured," Remus added, looking ashen.

"But what do you--"

"It's apparent isn't. We can't go waltzing about the forest, meeting up with Vampires, and who knows what else. We still don't know what exactly is going on. They couldn't talk when they got here. Ron was unconscious and looked like death, that man, Jabir something or other, passed out as soon as he sat down, and that woman looked dead on her feet. What are we supposed to do?" Tonks asked, throwing up her hands.

"Ole' blue hair is right," Aberforth, the goat-loving brother of the late Albus Dumbledore, exclaimed.

"Stop calling me that!" Tonks hissed.

"But we can't do nothing!" Harry yelled, looking desperate. They had no clue where Hermione actually was. For all they knew, she could be laying passed out cold somewhere, or captured by Death Eaters or Vampires.

"Don't get excited! What are we supposed to do?" Remus said as gently as possible.

That's when everybody began to talk at once, even the usually quiet Aberforth joined in. The din went on for several minutes, sometimes just talking and other times yelling was involved, but ended when a white as a ghost Mrs. Weasley walked into the room.

"Molly, how are they?" Mr. Weasley asked, standing up and leading his wife to a chair.

She took in a calming breath and then exhaled before she said anything. "Ron will be fine. He lost quite a bit of blood, but with a few charms and potions, I think he will be all right. Ms. Gibbers is perfectly fine, she had a nasty gash on her arm, but that was easily cleaned and then healed. She's asleep now. But that Mr. Hassan is in bad shape, his internal bleeding was extensive. I've done all I can for the time being, but I don't know if he will make it. I've got Ginny and George sitting with them now. I'm just so glad Ron's okay," Mrs. Weasley finished, brushing a tear from her cheek.

"So am I, Molly, so am I," Mr. Weasley agreed, squeezing her hand.

"Molly, did Ms. Gibbers say anything else?" Remus asked, leaning in closer.

"No, just what she said before. Vampire's, surrounded, and Hermione's gone. She's awfully shook up, crying and shaking, I think she's emotionally and physically exhausted," Mrs. Weasley said with a sigh, she herself looked exhausted.

"Molly, I think you should go lay down," Mr. Weasley whispered gently.

"Yes, I think you might be right, but if anything changes in their conditions, or if Ron wakes up, come and get me," she said the last part sternly, shaking her finger at her husband.

"Yes, of course I will," Mr. Weasley assured her, helping her stand up.

She walked back out and headed to her room. They all turned back to each other and were silent for a moment.

"Well, I see only one thing we can do. We can't go looking for her--" Mr. Weasley paused at the look on Harry's face, "but, I will contact everyone I can and they can keep a keen eye out for her. Does everyone agree?"

There were murmurs of yes and various nodding of heads. Harry had to grudgingly agree with Mr. Weasley, while he didn't much like the idea of just sitting around, it _was_ more logical.

"When one of them wakes up, we'll regroup and then talk some more. For the time being, I think we should all go get some sleep," Mr. Weasley finished.

They all departed and went back to their respective rooms, but Harry did not go back to his. Instead he headed for the infirmary; well, it wasn't actually an infirmary, it was just an empty room that had always been meant for that purpose, and now they had a time to use it. The infirmary (or so it was called) was located in the very back of the cavern, in the two years they had been there, Harry had seen very little of the room. As he walked he lost himself in his own thoughts. It was lucky that their new arrivals had showed up that day, they had been scheduled to leave and find another cavern in the next two days. Harry knew that was one of the reasons why they were all so worried, who knew when they would have the next opportunity to leave and still be ahead of the approaching Death Eaters. The young man's mind also settled on his two best friends. Even though he hadn't seen or spoken to them in three years, he still considered them his best friends.

Harry had been more than disappointed when Ron had left. Harry understood his reasons, as well as Hermione's, but he still missed them terribly. Ron and Harry were different in many ways, while Harry dreamed of one day living in the middle of nowhere, in the country, and raising chickens, Ron on the other hand was very different. He liked jumping from place to place, and he liked being important. Harry just wanted to hide from spotlight, leave the job to someone else. That was why Ron had left, in Ron's eyes he could never do enough, and he left because he thought he would be helping his best friend by taking up arms and fighting Death Eaters.

Harry stopped when he realized he had arrived at his destination. The door to the infirmary stood ajar and faint candlelight could be seen in the hallway, flickering. He leaned against the doorframe and looked in. Three beds had been set up, but only two were occupied. Two chairs been pulled up to the right side of two of the beds. Ginny was sitting next to the other man who had come in with Ron: Jabir, if Harry remembered correctly, and was using the light from her wand to read. George was sitting next to Ron, and was snoring, feet propped up on the bed.

"Hey," Harry whispered, lifting the only extra chair by the door and setting it down next to Ginny.

"Hi," she whispered back as he plopped down in his chair.

"Anything new?" Harry asked jerking his toward the sleeping or unconscious forms on the beds.

"No, nothing new to report. Their conditions haven't changed," Ginny replied, yawning and then going back to her book.

Harry leaned forward to look at what she was reading. _The Hobbit _was the title and the book was a well-worn copy. That sounded more than vaguely familiar.

"If your tired, I'll stay here and look over things, while you go and get some sleep," Harry suggested as he watched her eyes droop.

"No, no I'm not tired, just a little sleepy," she answered, yawning again. "But I don't want to go."

"Why not? Don't trust me?" Harry joked.

"No. I just want to be here if Ron--" Ginny paused at a particularly load snore from George as he groaned in his sleep and shifted, "…wakes up," she finished.

"Right, good idea," Harry agreed, settling farther into his chair.

They stayed that way for quite sometime, before Ginny succumbed to sleep, using Harry's shoulder as a pillow. Harry didn't mind one bit.

* * *

_The sun was shining brightly, obscuring a sixteen-year-olds vision as he practiced Quidditch with his little sister, Ginny. It was the summer after fifth year, the summer after Sirius's death. _

"_See if you can block this!" Ginny yelled as she raced toward him on her broom. _

_She faked to the right and then at the last second she put on a great burst of speed and veered to the left. Ron, surprised by the sudden move, too put on a burst speed to block the quaffle, but it was too late, she had scored. _

"_Damn it," Ron muttered under his breath as he dived for the falling red ball. _

_When he came back up to resume play, he found Ginny doing a little jig on her broom. _

"_Show off!" he yelled, throwing the ball to her. She was so busy celebrating, that she didn't see Ron throw it, but to Ron's trepidation she did catch it, rather clumsily, but all the same she did catch it. _

_They played for a while, Ron blocking most of them, but Ginny was a talented chaser and was fully capable of dishing them out. Their only interruption was when Harry finally came out. He had arrived less than a week ago and to Ron's surprise, he saw very little of his best friend. _

"_Hey Harry! Where's your broom?" Ron yelled down to him, not seeing Harry's broom._

"_Don't want to play," Harry yelled back, taking a seat on the grass, so that he had a good view of them._

_Ron heard Ginny huff, "Not wanting to play Quidditch, what a load of rubbish."_

_Ron was inclined to agree, Harry was acting very strangely. He was spending too much time holed up in their room, depressed. Ron was very concerned for his best mate, and not wanting to play Quidditch was the height of his worry, Harry was no longer himself. _

"_Come one lets play," Ginny said, looking annoyed, "if he doesn't want to play, then that's his fault." _

_Ron nodded and turned back to their game. To warm back up, they threw the red quaffle back and forth for a few minutes. Then they began to practice as they had before, Ginny used every maneuver that she knew to get the ball past Ron, and he, in turn, blocked every single one that he could. But it wasn't long before their peaceful playing was broken by a sudden scream from the ground. Ron's heart raced as he looked around for the source of the scream. He soon found the source, he should have known the moment he heard, it was Harry, who was clutching his scar._

This was, of course, a dream, more of a memory really. It's amazing how alert the subconscious is, even to those who are unconscious. For, you see, this was none other than Ronald Weasley's dream. Why was Ron dreaming of his family and Harry? Because he knew he was now with them once again, or just a coincidence? But perhaps that does not matter, maybe it is unimportant, but we do know of one thing that is of utmost importance, the soon to be the wakefulness of Ron.

The red head slowly gained consciousness, until finally his blue eyes were open. At first he did not know where he was, but he did know he was in a strange bed and that he could not remember how he got to this new, unknown location. Ron struggled to sit up, holding onto his throbbing head. But he managed the task and for the first time looked around at his surroundings. He gasped aloud at what he saw in the dimly lit room, Ginny, his sister he hadn't seen in three years. He blinked several times to make sure he really wasn't dreaming, and he even pinched himself.

"_How did I get here?" _Ron wondered, thinking hard. That's when he remembered everything: traveling, vampires, and Hermione.

He shifted to get out of bed when he cringed and stopped himself.

"Jabir, you mad, stupid bugger," Ron hissed aloud, now remembering how he was rendered unconscious. It had been purely an accident; he knew Jabir hadn't meant to nearly kill him by swinging that stupid sword.

Ron lifted his shirt, placed his hands behind his back, and felt for the wound that was bound to be there. He felt no wound but he did feel a rough bandage strait across the middle of his back Making up his mind, he began the task of, gingerly, getting out of bed to find Hermione. When he had his feet firmly planted on the floor and was standing straight, he began to walk to the door.

When he passed by Ginny's still, sleeping form he paused to wake her, but when he saw she looked exhausted even in sleep, he decided against it. So he continued on, pass Jabir's bed, and then to the door. He had paused once again, at the other bed in the room. The light was still dim, so he couldn't see the other man clearly, but from what he did see, Jabir did not look good.

When he was out the door, he had to decide which way to turn. He chose the left and began to walk down the endless hallway. He saw a few doors, which he opened, but found no one inside. When he opened one of last doors he found not another room, but another hallway.

"What is this place, a maze?" Ron scoffed aloud, not sure which way to go. So, on a whim he chose the second hallway.

The hallway had no doors until he came to the end of it. He opened the door and was greeted with, like before, another hallway. He turned to his the right and only walked a few short steps when he came to a one lone door; he opened it and was greeted with bright candlelight. He shielded his yes from the sudden light, as he heard all sound in the room come to a sudden halt. He heard a shriek of, "_Ron!" _and just a few moments later was caught in a bone-crushing hug.

"Mum…" Ron croaked as Mrs. Weasley began to cut off his air supply.

She reluctantly pulled away from him, and wiped her tear filled eyes on her apron.

"Oh, Ron I was so worried!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, kissing his cheek.

"What for?" Ron asked bewildered. "I wasn't fatally wounded or anything."

Ron heard his mother sigh and whisper something about sons. She turned back to the stove and stirred the chicken soup. As Mrs. Weasley stirred she looked over her shoulder, "sit right there, this will be ready in a minute," she spoke, gesturing at the table.

Having forgotten that there had been anybody else in the room, Ron turned to other occupants of the room, who were all sitting at the tables.

"Err… hi," Ron greeted, feeling suddenly awkward. There weren't too many people at the table, just McGonagall, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Aberforth, and Andrea.

"Close call Weasley, messing with vampires is dirty business," Moody growled in his usual manner, yanking out a chair.

"Yeah, it was," Ron replied, looking around at all of them.

He noticed that they all looked worried about something, and that Andrea wasn't even looking at him. Warning lights immediately went off in Ron's head. He realized that there was one very important person missing. Where _was _Hermione?

"_She's fine, she's just asleep. Yeah, that's it, she's asleep," _Ron assured himself, taking a hesitant seat next to Moody.

Ron cleared his throat and looked at Andrea, sensing that the rest were waiting for something.

"I saw Jabir," Ron said, speaking to Andrea.

"I suppose you did," she replied, huskily.

"The rest?"

"Dead. Teddy, Markus, Clyde, Frank, and Worthington: all dead. And now she's gone, and it's all my fault," Andrea whispered bitterly.

Ron stared at her, not speaking, and hoping that he had misunderstood what she had said. From what she said, Ron could only infer that Andrea meant Hermione. _"No! It is a mistake! It can't be true!"_ Ron screamed in his head, not moving as Andrea stared down at her hands.

"Hermione's gone! All right, she's gone! Stop looking at me like a deer looks at an oncoming broom!" Andrea yelled, standing up so hurriedly that her chair was knocked to the floor.

Andrea then fled from the room, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed. Ron continued to sit, staring, glassy eyed, at where Andrea had just been. It took the touch of one of his mother's warm hands to snap him out of it.

"What happened?" Ron asked, trying to control his anger and his overwhelming urge to hit something, namely the table.

Mrs. Weasley took a deep breath and started to speak. "They're fairly certain she has been captured."

Ron's stomach went to his throat; he didn't even open his mouth, he was afraid if he did, he would start bawling like a girl. To Ron, this was the ultimate failure.

"_I should have done something, but I didn't,"_ Ron thought, mournfully to himself.

They began to tell him everything that Andrea had told them. Ron already knew most of it, but he did get to hear about their escape after he was rendered unconscious. Ron was amazed that Jabir and Andrea even were able to escape. When they were done, and Ron had eaten as much as he could, Mrs. Weasley insisted that he go back to bed. He protested strongly, but out of sheer exhaustion, Ron went.

* * *

When Ron woke up again, it was the next day and Hermione still had not been found. The redhead was more than worried for Hermione; he was terrified. By his mother's orders Ron spent all that day in bed; even though his back had healed, Mrs. Weasley felt it necessary to keep her son confined to a bed. She was less worried about his health and more worried about him going to look for Hermione. The urge to jump rashly into things and to search for her was nearly overpowering. Of course no one yet knew that Ron and Hermione were actually a couple. Even if Ron had thought to do so, he probably wouldn't have told his family and the Order that the two were an item without Hermione's permission. 

Thankfully, Ron wasn't without company that day; someone was almost always there with him. If no one had been there to keep his mind off of Hermione, he would later reminisce how they kept him from pulling his own hair out. He saw and had a long conversation with Harry and George about the good old days, (mostly Quidditch). Ron also saw a Ginny frequently; she went in and out all day long, seeing if he needed anything and fussing over him. Ron, unknowingly, had forgotten how much his little sister was like their mother. The Order of the Phoenix had also stopped by the infirmary to question Ron. Sadly, he couldn't tell them anything that they didn't already know.

After that first day, another past with no word about Hermione. Ron was allowed to leave the infirmary, but little had actually changed; a close eye was always kept on him. Ron sulked and once again pleaded with the Order to let him find Hermione, it did no good. It was on the third day that marked Hermione's return.

* * *

Harry yawned and turned back over in bed, trying to find a comfortable position; this position was not to be found though. He angrily turned once more, this time onto his back. Part of the problem was the old, worn down mattress, but the main problem was he just couldn't shut off his brain and go to sleep. His mind was running through all the time he had spent with Ron the past couple of days. It was strange to think of how they had matured, how they had grown older. Harry had not seen his best mate in so long; that the only Ron he knew was a Chuddly Cannons fanatic, who dreaded potions class. He had not realized how much they had all changed… 

Realizing that it was futile to lie there any longer, Harry threw back his sheets and rose from the creaking bed. He threw on a robe to cover his pajamas, slipped on his slippers, and exited his room. He made the familiar walk to the kitchen, he knew the way so well that his feet almost automatically carried him there. It didn't take him long to arrive, but when he did he was disappointed. The kitchen was occupied by an engrossed, snogging Remus and Tonks. Harry cursed softly and tiptoed away from the entrance of the kitchen.

"_Well there goes my night-time snack. Couldn't even get to a room," _Harry huffed to himself, as he turned and this time headed for the library.

This room, too was occupied, but, thankfully, not by snogging couples. The woman he had seen very little of, Ms. Gibbers, was sitting in one of the three chairs, looking preoccupied. Harry's eyes widened and wondered if he should enter or not. He was still contemplating this when she turned around to face him.

"If you want to come in, just do it," Andrea spoke, curtly.

Harry's cheeks turned red with embarrassment, he hadn't known that she knew he was standing in the doorway.

"Err… thanks," Harry replied, hands jammed into the pockets of his robe, as he sidled in.

He had never talked with Andrea and didn't know what to say as he approached one of the bookshelves and took down one of books he had been shifting through for the last couple of days. It was, like most of the others, worn with age and use; it had been one of the twin's old books, a study on the Quidditch teams of Britain. He sat down, with the book, on the last chair available, the one right across from Andrea. Harry opened the book and turned to his dog-eared page he had been reading the night before, and began to read, or at least try. He sat, staring blurry eyed at the page.

"Your book's upside down," she informed him with one well-shaped eyebrow.

Harry laughed nervously and turned the book right side up and once again tried to read, this time having a little more success. He had only read one paragraph, though, when the other person in the room spoke once again.

"Ron failed to mention that he was friends with _the _Harry Potter," said Andrea, looking at him with curious eyes.

"Oh he did, did he," Harry answered, becoming increasingly annoyed by her stare.

"Yes, he did. I wondered why he didn't want me to take him all the way to where he was going. '_You don't have to' _he said _'we wouldn't to be a burden.' _I knew he was hiding something. I knew his "bothering" us was total shit," Andrea stated.

"Your very perceptive," Harry muttered for a lack of anything better to say.

"Well, that is my job, or at least it was. It's turned out that I'm actually terrible at it," she shrugged.

There was silence for the next several minutes. The air was tense and Harry was about to get up and leave when there was a sudden, loud wail.

"What the hell was that?" Andrea exclaimed, clapping her hands over her ears from the noise. Harry did the same as his mind raced. He knew what that wail meant and it was never a good thing.

"It means there's an intruder!" Harry yelled to Andrea over the terrible racket.

"A what?" Andrea yelled back, not hearing what he had said.

"An intruder!" Harry screamed back.

Andrea still did not understand though, and there was nothing but a puzzled look on her face.

So, Harry tried again.

"There is an intru--oh blast it all!" Harry hollered, growing frustrated, as he pulled her into the hallway, where the din wasn't as load.

"An intruder!"

"Intruder! Well, this certainly is a good way to announce it!" she said sarcastically pulling out her wand. Harry did the same, but then it stopped.

"Why did it stop?" she whispered, her wand at the ready.

"I don't know," Harry began uncertainly, "maybe it was a false alarm, or perhaps they've caught the intruder."

"Well this is a fine kettle of fish," Andrea hissed harshly, "what are we supposed to do?"

Harry couldn't help but role his eyes. "How am I supposed to know?" he whispered, tugging on her sleeve to pull her along.

"Well, maybe because you actually _live _here or because you are the Harry Potter," Andrea exclaimed, trying to pull her sleeve from his grip. "Would you let go of me!"

Angry at the _"the Harry Potter" _references, Harry decided not to let her go, in fact, he pulled her along faster. They rounded the last corner to the kitchen. Being extra cautious he flattened himself against the packed, dirt wall and peaked around the corner. Everyone was in the kitchen and they were all grouped in what looked like a huddle around the entrance to their cavern. Seeing everyone, Harry was about to enter the kitchen, when he realized there was somebody else among them: a stranger.

Harry's eyes widened and wondered if this stranger was a friend or a foe. He looked to be a friend, but Harry had been fooled in the past, and he wasn't to be fooled again.

"Potter! Get out here!" Moody barked, his magical having seen him.

Feeling that everything was now safe, Harry finally came forward, with Andrea in tow (he was no longer holding her sleeve). The stranger was the tallest person he had seen besides Hagrid and was probably the palest He knew they were pale, but not _that _pale, the man looked like walking chalk with blond hair. Harry got a strange feeling from the man, he couldn't explain it, but it was unsettling. But then his unsettling feeling went to confusion and shock, as Ron suddenly exploded.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?" Ron yelled, it was more like screaming actually, as he launched himself toward the stranger.

"No Ron!" Mr. Weasley yelled, grabbing on to his son's arm.

Ron struggled but others soon grabbed on to him, including Ginny. In just a few moments, Harry realized why Ron had freaked out; Harry had seen men like these in his Defense Against the Dark Arts books. The stranger was a vampire. Harry looked around wildly, but saw no others, instead to his horror he saw Hermione lying unconscious on the table.

"Stop it everyone! He's a friend, an ally. He means us no harm," Mr. Weasley intervened as various wands began to point at the vampire's heart.

They faltered at Mr. Weasley's outburst.

"He's one of my informants. Remember I said I would contact people to find Hermione," Mr. Weasley reminded them, looking entirely distressed.

"Have you gone mad?" Harry asked Mr. Weasley, shocked.

"No I assure, he has not gone mad, in fact he is quite sane. If you would just let me explain. I am unarmed and all I have done is save _her_," the vampire informed them, gesturing toward Hermione, still unconscious.

Everyone gasped and looked at Hermione, they, in the commotion, had forgotten she was there.

"I think that we should help Hermione first and then Derek and I will explain," Mr. Weasley said looking hopeful.

They all murmured in agreement, except for Ron, who hadn't heard a word Mr. Weasley had just said.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about the late update (again). This time it actually wasn't the chapter, I wrote this one with no trouble. But some stuff got in the way (mostly a family crisis, which thankfully is over). And for the last two or three days I couldn't log in to actually post the chapter, because did not want to work. :(**

**Thank you to everyone for reviewing! **


	11. The Ally

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.

No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and it is for entertainment purposes only.

_A/N: I am mean andhateful, I can't believe that it's been a whole month since I updated last. I had a bad bout of writer's block in the beginning, but I did get over it by beginning to write the Epilogue for this story; which was great fun. This chapter is mostly just about Derek, who he is, and his backround. I'm a big fan of history and soI sneaked agood bit of 1500's british royatly into it, but be warned it's warped to matchwhat I wanted to happen. On to the chapter..._

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Ally**

Hermione was lost in a thick fog. It covered the valley she was in like a blanket, and she was walking across an endless valley, alone. She had been walking for a while and the aches in her legs gave proof. Feeling exhausted and terrified, she dropped to the ground, the soft grass under her palms. The grass was wet with dew and it made her itch uncontrollably. Pain and hatred swirled through her like a hurricane. The hatred wasn't hers, but a parasite that had infected her, making her want to scream. There was love, she could barely feel under all the pain and hatred, but it was still there trying to fight against the other emotions.

It all became too much and she fell onto her stomach. With her last bit of strength she rolled onto her back. She stared, her eyes unmoving, up at the fog above.

"I can't see the sun," she said aloud, realizing that there was no light to speak of.

Not knowing why, a sudden memory came to her; a memory of her parents. It was before she had received her letter from Hogwarts, she was only a small child.

"_Hermione! It's time to wash up, dinner is almost ready!" Mrs. Granger called to her daughter, who was playing in the water hoses with some of the other neighborhood girls. _

"_I'm coming mum!" Hermione called back, waving goodbye to other girls as they all began to walk home. _

_Not wanting her dinner to get cold, (it was her favorite tonight: pork chops with roasted potatoes), she rushed to turn off the water. After the water was effectively off, she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around herself, enjoying the fluffiness that surrounded her. The next day she was turning eight, and she was so excited to see the awaiting presents that were sure to be hiding at the top of her parent's closet. _

Hermione, lying on her back in the grassy field smiled as she remembered. It was a very simple memory, one that had no real significance, and one that wasn't exciting. However the memory was a warm and fuzzy one that comforted Hermione's confused and befuddled mind. As she thought farther and farther back to when she and Mrs. Granger would laugh hysterically at Mr. Granger's silly jokes, usually during their long drives out in the English countryside, the fog slowly began to clear. It was so slow that she did not notice that the fog had cleared right above her to reveal a small patch of blue sky.

She stared into the blue patch taking it all in, relishing in the warm sunlight that streamed down on her. As Hermione's brown eyes focused on the blue above, she began to see something off into the distance, thousands upon thousands of feet above her. It was very faint and looked like a speck flouting in the air, but then it slowly began to get closer to her. She did not move, and she barely even blinked as she watched it come closer to her, until it was right upon her and she could see what it was to some extent. It was people hovering above her, leaning over her, but still they were fuzzy around the edges and she couldn't make out their faces. One thing she could see, though, was most of them had shocking red hair, one in particular caught her fancy. Hermione soon recognized the person's outline as Ron's.

"Ron… get me out of here," she whispered franticly, getting back onto her knees. But as she did, the vision, or the spec, began to disappear.

"No, wait, come back! Don't leave me!" she screamed even more franticly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"_Hermione…"_

"NO!"

With her head feeling like it was about to split open, she covered her ears with her hands and began to rock back and forth on her heals.

"Please don't go, don't go, don't go, don't go…" she began to mumble, no longer caring about the world around her. She no longer cared, because she had just come to a realization. She would die there, alone, and unloved.

I'm sure your wondering, why would she ever think this? After all she is loved, very much so, by Ron. But the mind and the brain of a human being, especially a witch or a wizard's, is very complex, and anything can cause it to fail. Hermione has, as a last defense, escaped deep into her own mind (the fogy valley), where she knows no reason, and she no longer knows anything of the outside world. Hermione's mind is particularly strong, though, and for a brief few minutes she was able to see a bit of the outside world. The vision of the Weasley's, and a few others, was no vision, but what Hermione saw when she opened her eyes briefly.

_Two and half hours earlier…_

After they had calmed down Ron to where they no longer had to physically hold him back from attacking their new arrival Derek, Hermione was taken to the infirmary. She was completely limp and still had some dried blood on her from her apparent struggles. The sight of her blood made Ron feel sick, for even the ends of her brown locks were crusty with blood.

"You all stay here," McGonagall spoke sternly, gesturing to the "kids".

"Now wait one bloody minute! I'm not going anywhere! If that _thing_ goes in with Hermione, I go in too!" Ron yelled.

"Mr. Weasley! I may no longer be your Professor, but I will not tolerate that sort of language! As I said before, stay here. This is a very delicate situation and we need room to work," McGonagall instructed once more, this time with her nostrils flaring.

Ron was about to argue once more when Mad-Eye Moody stepped in. "The boy has a point Minerva. The vampire should be kept heavily guarded," he growled in his usual manner, his magical eye constantly on Derek.

"Yes you're quite right," McGonagall agreed, "Emmiline and Nymphadora you two will take Mr. Derek to the library."

"My name is _not _Nymphadora," Tonks exclaimed through gritted teeth.

Their old professor did not respond but turned to follow Hermione's levitated body. With a huff and a glare toward McGonagall, Tonks followed Emmiline out of the kitchen and toward the library; Derek was between them.

They all filed out with Hermione's floating body in front and with Mrs. Weasley in the rear.

"Please, all four of you," Mrs. Weasley began, speaking to Ron, Harry, Ginny, and George, "stay in the kitchen, I'll be back soon." she finished, closing the door behind her.

Harry and the three Weasleys were all silent as the doors closed with a soft clatter.

"A vampire? What is our dear old dad thinking?" George asked incredulously from his seat at the table across from Harry and Ginny. Ron was still standing where he had been when arguing with McGonagall.

"He's mad; off his rocker." Ron muttered, stomping to the double doors and trying to open them. He was not successful. "She locked them! I can't believe she locked it! _Alohomora_!"

The spell did not work and Ron kicked the door in his anger, this only resulted in Ron jumping up and down clutching his bare foot.

"Will somebody try opening the damn door?" Ron hissed, hopping to the table and heaving himself into one of the chairs.

"Let me try," Harry suggested, going up to the door and pausing while he examined the lock. It was a normal lock and Harry saw no special trick to it.

Harry then tried several other spells and charms, most of them more advanced than the simple _Alohomora_. But once again none of them worked. "Well she definitely wanted us to stay in here," Harry spoke, bemused.

"Maybe we should break down the door?" Ron suggested, looking hopeful.

Ginny scoffed, "like that would work, mum probably put an unbreakable charm on the door. Why would she lock it so securely if we could just break it down?"

"Since when did you become the boss?" Ron asked angrily.

"Since I became the more superior one," she shot back.

"Would you two please shut up," George moaned, holding his head and tugging on his close cut red hair.

Harry rolled his eyes at the arguing Weasleys, some things just never changed. He was worried, angry with Mrs. Weasley for shutting them in the kitchen, and most of all, confused. Things were happening so fast that Harry couldn't quite grasp it. One moment he was annoyed with Andrea and the next he was holding Ron back from attacking a vampire. And then, to top the rest, Hermione was back, unconscious, and looking like death itself. A vampire had been, and still was, in their cavern! Harry had only ever seen a picture of one, but he had heard of their cunning, ferociousness, and evil ways. What had happened? How was Hermione? Questions continued to role through Harry's mind as he began to pace.

While Harry paced and the Weasley's did what they do best, the others looked at Hermione with greatly worried expressions.

_The infirmary…_

"I- I think she's been poisoned," McGonagall whispered, straitening back up to her full height.

"Poisoned?" the others murmured.

"Are you sure Minerva?" Mrs. Weasley asked her hands wringing.

"Well, no. One can never be entirely certain about such things, but she has all the symptoms, and look at this," the ex-professor gravely urged, turning Hermione's head to the right and then lifting back her brown hair (now clean).

There were several gasps and worried movements; they could all see the two angry, red marks on her neck. They were small, round, and only slightly smaller then a penny. The area around the two holes was inflamed and red, with an odd white, flaky, and dried substance, that seemed to cling to the skin.

"Oh dear Merlin," Mrs. Weasley breathed, sinking back down into her chair.

"Has she been turned, Minerva?" Remus asked, standing up to approach McGonagall and the unconscious Hermione.

"I have not determined that yet," McGonagall answered, bending back down to peer at Hermione. There was no outward sign that she had been changed to become something else. Not having any great experiences with vampires or anything related to them, she wondered what to do. But her wonderings were soon quelled by Mad-Eye Moody's gruff voice.

"Look into the girl's eye," Moody advised with a deep growl.

So, with a look of great trepidation, the older woman lifted her thin hand and, slowly and very carefully opened Hermione's right eye.

"Oh my goodness," the older woman gasped, snatching her hand away, and taking a hurried step back, bumping into Remus.

"What is it?" Remus exclaimed with surprise as he steadied Minerva.

"I have never, in my life, seen anything like it; it's unnatural…" she replied in a shaky voice, her eyes wide with surprise and confusion.

Looking back at her with his eyebrows raised and his heart beating wildly, he took McGonagall's former position and opened Hermione's eye, not expecting what he saw when he looked into her eye. He saw no pupil and no iris; instead all he saw was the white of her eyeball.

"Well Lupin, is she turned?" Moody growled again, his arms crossed, waiting for a reply.

Remus weighed this question heavily, while Hermione's eyes _were_ rolled back into her head, there wasn't any sign of an actual vampire lurking inside of his old pupil. The only sign of a vampire that can be seen in the eyes is a red line around the iris (the colored part of the eye). This procedure of detecting a newly changed vampire is the simplest and most effective, since it appears just minutes after the ritual is preformed.

Remus cleared his throat and faced the rest. "No, I do not believe that Ms. Granger has been turned."

"You believe? We need solid facts Lupin. What we do not need is a bloodsucking vampire, ripping our throats out and sucking Potter dry," Moody declared in his usual tone and manner.

"I can not be positive of anything until she regains consciousness," Remus explained, turning back to Hermione with a worried glance. "What I am more worried about though, is her mental state of mind when she does wake up, _if_ she does."

They were all silent for quite sometime, every single one of them reflecting and wondering what they would do. McGonagall was still shaken up by what she had seen and was trying to hide her bewilderment, and to her own horror, fright. Mr. And Mrs. Weasley shared the same feelings as McGonagall, and especially Mrs. Weasley felt quite disheartened by the whole thing. Aberforth showed no outward signs of any sort of worry, but was instead lighting his cigar with his old and tattered wand.

Molly saw him and scoffed. "Don't you dare light that thing in here," Mrs. Weasley warned, thinking how different he was from his brother.

Aberforth grunted and put out his cigar. Andrea was also there feeling like an outsider and wishing that she had stayed behind with the others. Remus was inquisitive and at that very moment felt lonely. Moody, always the paranoid person that he was, had his magical eye swiveled to the back of his head, where he was keeping an _eye _on the vampire; who was still guarded by Emmiline and Tonks.

Mad-Eye was the first to break their silence. "That vampire should be interrogated," Moody said, with barely contained malice.

They snapped out of their reverie and murmured their agreement.

"Someone should stay with her," Remus advised.

"I will," Andrea spoke for the first time, having no want to see or hear the vampire.

They exchanged glances and for the first time remembered she was even there.

"Well… I don't know," Mrs. Weasley answered with evident concern, after all they still knew very little about Andrea, or if she was reliable.

"I'm sure she's perfectly capable," Mr. Weasley assured her.

"But remember, if there is any kind of trouble, try not to handle it on your own; and if she wakes up or shows signs of it, come and get us immediately," Remus reminded her, himself looking a bit concerned.

"Hurry up, I want to get to that vampire," Moody growled to Lupin as he took one last glance at Hermione and Andrea. And so with that final look they were gone, the door shutting behind them with a sharp snap.

* * *

It wasn't more than fifteen minutes later, (after Lupin and the rest had left Hermione), that the kitchen doors were opened, much to Ron, Harry, Ginny, and George's relief. But their relief didn't last long when they saw that Derek was directly behind Mr. Weasley. 

"What's _he _doing here?" Ron emphasized, pointing at Derek with loath shown in his features.

"I thought he was going to stay locked up!" Harry put in as well, looking every bit as angry as Ron. Not only was he worried for his female best friend, but he was also left out of the other's "meeting."

"Our visitor is here to tell us his side of the story and how Ms. Granger came into the position she is in," McGonagall said disapprovingly.

"Position?" Ron sputtered, his worry overcoming his anger. "Is she alright? What happened?"

McGonagall met Lupin's eyes for help on that particular question. Remus chose to answer.

"It could have been worse, but there is one bright note, I do not believe she has been turned. But the situation is rather grave, I hope to get more answers by talking to him; so please, for all of your sakes, don't interrupt," Remus pleaded, for the first time looking far older than Ron ever imagined him to be.

Ron wanted to argue but did not, instead he resigned into silence and took a seat at the table; the rest followed suit.

Mr. Weasley cleared his throat and ran his hand through what was left of his red hair, "I know you are all wondering what is going on," he began, talking mostly to his children and Harry, "So, Mr. Adlam will explain."

Derek rose silently, looking like a fish out of the water and opened his mouth, but a sound never came out because Moody was the first to speak.

"First of all, vampire, what is your name?" Moody growled in his interrogation tone, looking rather imposing, with his normal and magical one constantly trained on Derek.

"Derek Adlam, but my living name was Edmund," he replied coolly, never faltering under Mad-Eye's vehement gaze.

"What clan are you from?" Moody barked, staring at him so hard that both of his eyes were bugging out in a truly grotesque nature.

Once again he did not falter, but instead lifted his pale pointed chin, and answered him straightly, "I am of the A-Delta sect," he replied evenly showing no emotion or care.

"That explains it! Ms. Granger was poisoned! By one of the A-Delta sect, it is common knowledge that, that race of vampires emit a certain kind of poison from their fangs; I can't believe I didn't think of it," Remus exclaimed, surprise written all over his face.

"So, vampire, you decided to have a little fun with the lass? Thought you could have a little taste?" Moody howled, looking more than ready to curse Derek into oblivion. In fact he had a grudge against all vampires and was hoping for the chance to curse him.

Everyone waited on baited breath for his response, and Ron, thinking along the same lines as Moody, had his wand at the ready.

With his eyes smoldering, and his gray eyes taking on more of a red tint, he answered after a moment of speechless injustice, "I did no such thing!"

"A likely story!" Moody roared once more, jumping to his feet (which was surprising because of his old age), and pointed his wand at Derek's heart.

Derek, finally showed some emotion when he put up his hands in surprise.

"Alastor! Would you please calm down! You are completely overreacting, and even more than that you're acting like a fool," McGonagall declared, with a particularly harsh tone, as she summoned Moody's wand to herself.

"Give me my wand back!" he bellowed, looking ready to lunge at McGonagall.

Thinking quickly, Remus decided to act, and instead of trying to talk to Moody, he went for his wand. And, so with a well-aimed cheering charm, Moody was effectively subdued.

"Now then Mr. Adlam, would you please continue by telling us of your life?" Remus asked politely.

So, he launched into the long tale. Long doesn't even begin to describe it.

"I was born in 1541, during the reign of Henry VIII. My lineage was one of nobility and I was born into a pureblood family. My father was an important figure in the social comings and goings of the pureblood elite, and so, like the rest of them, he took the view of most purebloods. He was not a kind man to his sons or his daughters and he was, of course, prejudice against half bloods and muggleborns. When King Henry died he was succeeded by his one and only son, Edward. I was only seven years of age when Edward took the crown," Derek began but was interrupted by, you guessed it, Ron.

"Woah, wait a minute, are you talking about the guy who had all these wives? Wasn't he the one who beheaded most of them?" Ron broke in, forgetting his past suspicions and looking interrested.

But he was ignored and instead of an answer he got a sharp jab in the stomach by Ginny's elbow.

"Unknown to muggles of this day and in that era, the Tudor family were really magical folk, purebloods actually. But unlike Edward's father, Henry, he was not a pureblood, but a half-blood; Jane Seymour, Edward's mother and Henry's third wife, was a muggleborn. When a half-blood took the crown, my father and the rest were very angry, since there was no longer a link to the Muggle crown and purebloods. Immediately after Edward took the crown, the purebloods began to scheme to get a pureblood back into the throne; this pureblood being Edward's oldest sister and Henry's eldest child, Mary. Mary, Bloody Mary as she came to be called, was the daughter of Henry's first wife, Catharine of Aragon. Catharine came from a powerful pureblood family and, like the Tudor's, were actually royalty, from Spain to be exact.

Various plans to end young Edward's life began almost as soon as he took the crown, but all of these were futile, except for one; seven years after Edward came into power, he was assonated by one of his own aids. After his death, which was blamed on tuberculosis, Mary quickly took the throne, and to my father's delight a pureblood was finally back in power over the clueless Muggles.

Queen Mary the first was a ruthless leader and witch who came to be called Bloody Mary because of the murder of 300 muggleborns and half-bloods. But only after five years of being queen, Mary died, and was then succeeded by her half-sister, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, like Edward, was a half-blood.

During Mary's reign, she and other conspirators, including my father, were plotting to reveal themselves to the Muggles as Wizards. So, consequently, they would then take over Britain. But they never got very far in their plans because of Mary's death, and then Elizabeth's succession. One of their plans did get acted out, though; this was the joining of dark creatures- namely the European vampire sects. To secure their support in conquering the Muggles, my father promised the vampires complete freedom, which meant they no longer would be in semi-hiding. The vampires became angry with my father when he abandoned them and then took off to the Netherlands, upon Mary's death. As revenge on my father, they captured me. I was 18 years-old," he finally finished.

The others were silent for a moment as they took in what Derek had just said, and others just tried to make sense of the history lesson they had just received.

"Wait! Your little story does not explain why you're an ally," Ron sputtered, realizing the vampire hadn't said a thing about being an ally, or the reason for saving Hermione.

"Yes, I see. During my years of being a vampire I learned many things from the creatures, one is the true nature of my father, the hypocrite. My mother was a pureblood, but my father also had a line of half-blood and muggle mistresses, some of them giving birth to his children. One of his mistresses was the Duchess of Norfolk, she was a widow and had no children, or so everyone believed. She bore three of my father's children. My father didn't have a problem with killing half bloods and muggleborns, but he could use them to his own pleasure and then, with no conscious, throw them away like garbage. Because of this, I sided, many a time, against the evil, pureblood Wizards that continued to try and take power. This time is no different. And when I got the word from one of my most trusted informants, Arthur Weasley, about a witch that might have been captured by my own kind, I was only to happy to help. When Weasley described the witch I knew almost immediately that it was the one that had been brought in the day before, and now I am here being interrogated." Derek finally finished, with a slight tilt of his chin.

"Well, I think that answers all of our questions. Emmiline, Tonks, can you please escort Mr. Adlam back to the library?" Remus asked, clearing his throat.

After Derek had been led out of the kitchen, the rest continued to sit at the long table.

"How is Hermione, really?" Harry asked, breaking the silence

Ron breathed a sigh a relief at not having to ask the question himself. He was scared at the answer.

"I'm not sure; but I am afraid she has put up some sort of mental wall," Remus replied gently.

"A wall?" Ginny asked in bewilderment.

"Yes, I have heard of people, after traumatizing experiences, escaping into their own minds," Remus explained, looking drained and weary.

Ron felt his heartbeat quicken and his stomach rise to his throat as he listened to Remus. He vaguely heard George speak his own bewilderment, but Ron had ceased all normal thought. He stared off into space, his eyes not focused on anything, wondering what he would do without Hermione- if she didn't wake up. Ron thought this and gulped, realizing that if he let himself think about Hermione dieing anymore, he would well up with tears. But just a minute later he was roused back into reality by a hand on his shoulder.

"Ron, would you like to see her? It might do Hermione some good," Mr. Weasley asked in what he hoped was soothing tone.

Ron's addled brain put it together and he said 'yes' with a frog like croak.

* * *

"_Maybe there is hope," _Ron thought, two hours later, as he lay in his cot in Harry's room. 

Seeing Hermione had hurt him, she was pale, paler than ever, and she looked as if she was already dead. But it had only taken a brush of his hand against hers for her to show signs of life. It had been just for a second, but Hermione had opened her eyes; Ron could still see the pain in her brown eyes, behind his own closed eyelids.

Signs of life had made Ron's heart soar, she was still there, and perhaps when she opened her eyes again, she would keep them open.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there's that chapter, so what did you all think? Please do tell me, by reviewing! The next chapter will definetly not take that long since I've already started it. Chapter 12 will have a lighter tone (generally) and Hermione and also Jabir will wake up.There's more but I'm not going to tell you, but I will tell you that the trio (Ginny too) will be up to their old sneaky, eavesdropping ways. ;)**

**Oh and by the way, I did make it clear that the beginning corresponds with the end, right? Thankyou to all of my reviewers! And to my beta fanfictionsissy!**


	12. Recovery

**Chapter 12: Recovery**

Days past and finally Hermione began to show signs if wakefulness. It took her a full day to open her eyes but when she did, everyone, especially Ron, was very thankful.

Derek was still there, but the vampire mainly kept to himself, feeling greatly inadequate around the truly living people. And much to Andrea's relief, (the rest were relieved as well), Jabir also regained consciousness from five days of endless sleep. As soon as he was conscious, Mrs. Weasley began to force-feed him her specially brewed potions; they seemed to work the charm though, because he was out of bed the next day.

When Jabir found out about Derek, he wasn't all that keen on the fact that he would be living under the same "roof" with a vampire. But as I said before Derek was rarely ever seen since he slept during the day and hunted at night.

Moody often made his arguments against Derek and voiced these freely. Aberforth was Moody's biggest supporter, and the two had many conversations over Derek.

"I don't like it, no sir I do not. The creature is dangerous. The thing shouldn't be trusted. I can't believe Weasley and Lupin are allowing it. I'll bet my eye that those two are bewitched, it's plain as day," Moody growled under his breath, his eyes, his magical one included, shooting daggers at the vampire, one of the few times he was ever in contact with them.

Aberforth would always agree full heartedly. "Yes, yes, the vamp is not to be trusted," Aberforth would whisper back, either chewing on his unlighted pipe, cigarette, or wooden toothpick; the last two usually torn to shreds by his teeth.

Ron had heard the full story from Derek, including more of the facts than just those few that he spoke of the day of his interrogation. How she was abducted, and then the amazing escape. Of how Derek barely made it off the vampire lair to pick up Hermione's unconscious form and then carry her for three days slung over his shoulder. It made Ron ill, both to hear of her capture, but also of her escape. He just knew that there was something that the vampire withholding. Ron was going to find out what it was at all cost.

Another thing that bothered Ron, more than even he would ever admit to, was Harry; Ron believed that he was hiding something, something that made him feel guilty. It scared Ron, the last time Harry had hid something from his friends, it had led to embarrassing situations and danger, the prophecy, of course. Or maybe it was just Ron's imagination; maybe Harry wasn't hiding anything at all. Oh, he did hope he was wrong and it was just his imagination.

Ron's worries over Derek and Harry though, flew out the window when Hermione finally woke up. He doubted he would ever forget theday.

* * *

"Damn it!" Ron hissed as he ran into the closed bedroom door. It was pitch black, and about half-past midnight. 

"_How could I have forgotten that the damn door was closed?" _Ron asked himself, as he turned cautiously around to check on Harry's sleeping form. Thankfully he was obviously still asleep since Ron could hear his faint snores.

And so, with as little noise as possible Ron carefully opened the door, hoping with all he had that Harry would not awaken, sneaking out of his room at midnight would be awfully hard to explain. The door opened without difficulty though, and with relief flooding through him, Ron attempted to tip-toe out the open doorway; this is where he made his fatal mistake. Ron, in his impatience to leave, had completely forgotten that their was a slight step up, and so with a loud yelp, Ron tripped and grabbed at the door to try and keep himself from falling to the floor. While he didn't actually fall, he did make a tremendous amount of noise when the door slammed into the wall.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Harry asked, sleepily, propping himself up on his elbows to look in Ron's general direction, but everything was blurry without his glasses.

"Er… I'm just going to go get something to drink, you know, can't sleep," Ron lied, hoping Harry would go back to sleep.

"Oh, that's good," Harry mumbled and then yawned as he turned back on to his side and almost immediately went back to sleep.

So as Ron thanked his lucky stars, he, slowly this time, began to make his way through the dark passages, aided only by the few torches that lined the passageways. There was a sharp difference in temperatures from the bedrooms and the halls, the halls were always colder since the bedrooms were warmed by spells and the halls were not. Because of cold, Ron wished he had worn a shirt, but he had not, and was only dressed in his worn and loose pajama bottoms. But it wasn't far to Hermione's room, it was actually Ginny's old room but Ginny had given it to Hermione (since it was closer to the kitchen), and she was now bunking in one of the spare rooms.

He turned the last few corners, and he came to the last hall he had to travel through. Ron was pretty sure that Hermione's door was first one to the right, but just to be sure, he carefully opened it and peaked inside. But he soon realized that this was futile because it was pitch black inside and Ron couldn't see a thing.

"Hermione?" Ron whispered, not sure if he would even get an answer.

"Ron, is that you?" came a hoarse reply, and then the squeak of bedsprings.

Ron, for a moment, felt shock, he hadn't really expected her to answer him, she was supposed to be asleep.

"Hermione! You're supposed to be asleep," he scolded as he carefully shut the door behind him, and then with a 'humph' he took a rough step downward, he had forgotten about the step, again.

"I couldn't sleep. Ron, what are you doing in here?" Hermione asked with a slight shake of her voice. Ron was surprised to hear the quiver of it.

Feeling suddenly foolish, after all she could very well had been asleep, what was he thinking? "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Oh. I'm fine, really. You can go back to bed," she answered in a curt tone.

"_Oh no_," Ron mentally groaned, "_what did I do? She thinks that I came for a quick shag. While that is an idea, I wasn't even going to ask." _

"Er… Okay then," Ron said aloud, turning to go.

"No, wait! Please don't go," Hermione cried franticly, and then in a surprising turn of events, she suddenly burst into tears.

Ron, who still wasn't very good at the art of crying females, also went into hysterics. He rushed to her bedside, tripping over his feet as he went. Then, he finally had enough sense to actually light his wand so that he could see her better. She was dressed in a long, conservative nightgown, that came to her white, slim ankles, and was sobbing into her pillow.

"What did I do?" he asked franticly, berating himself for what ever stupid thing he must have done. Ron really wanted to take his fist to his own head, he made Hermione cry, that was a sin in his book.

She sobbed for a few more moments before she answered, well, sort of.

"I-I understand if you d-don't want me anymore," she answered him meekly through her sob's.

Ron was absolutely flabbergasted. His jaw fell open, and his eyes widened. How could she possibly ever think that…? It was ridiculous!

"Of course I want you!" Ron exclaimed, climbing into her bed on impulse. Not knowing quite what to do, he laid down next to her and took her into his arms, awkwardly petting her bushy hair.

This made Hermione cry all the harder but she didn't say anything else. Ron was at a loss of what to do and so he just stayed where he was, hoping he was giving her some kind of comfort. Much to his relief she quieted down after about ten minutes and only hiccupped sporadically.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bawl all over you," she sniffled, burying her red, splotchy face into his neck.

"I didn't mind," he said reassuringly, hoping that she would never do that again.

They didn't move for quite some time but they did eventually fall asleep, Hermione first, then Ron.

* * *

During Hermione's and Jabir's recovery, the Deatheaters were still looming just a few miles away from the cavern. It was a constant worry for all and each day seemed to drag by. But finally, three days after Hermione regained consciousness, the subject was broached. 

Breakfast that morning was a particularly loud affair, with Hermione, Ron, Jabir, and Andrea all there, it was louder than usual, since everyone was talking at once. The conversations ranged from the war (a common topic), to Aberforth's jokes about Tonks newest hair color (which was a striking color of the greenest grass).

Wanting to seek everyone's attention to the front of the table, Remus cleared his throat. But as he should have known this did no good, and instead everyone continued to talk at once as they passed the platter of bacon down the table.

"Everybody, quiet down!" Moody growled, from his seat next to Remus.

"Thank you Alastor," Remus said, standing up shakily because the full moon had just been a few days ago.

Once everyone had succumbed to a bewildered silence, Remus began his speech. But he suddenly couldn't speak because of nerves. He knew that his "speech" would not be well received; after all, who wanted to leave their home?

"Well Remus, spit it out," Tonks said, her long fingered hand clutching his, reassuringly under the table.

Feeling suddenly braver and a good deal bit better, Remus began.

"I'm sure everyone knows about our situation, and it simply can't be held off any longer. We talked about this before, but never settled on anything. And then with a few unfortunate mishaps, our plans got pushed into a corner. The bottom line is that Deatheaters and possibly other followers of Voldemort, are coming. They're somehow scanning the area and are looking for hidden caverns. I do not know how they are doing it but there are more and more caverns being found. We have to decide what to do and we have to do it now," he finished, slumping down into his chair with relief.

They were silent, they all knew it would come, but… they had all pushed it to the back of their minds. Hoping the time wouldn't come.

"As I'm sure you remember, Neville Longbottom is still living, as a muggle, in Leominster (a town about 20 miles, West of the Wales, English border). He's been contacted and has said he would be more than happy to be our host for a few days," Mr. Weasley added.

Ron shared a glance with Hermione and looked back at his father.

"I didn't know he was still there. Since when have you been in contact with him?" Ron asked, surprised. They hadn't heard from or seen Neville since Hogwarts fell. They had heard he was near that area, living a magic free life, but he hadn't heard anything about him for several years.

"When the situation made itself known, we had no one to turn to. He was the only one I could think of. And not only that, he is the closest ally, we have; only 20 miles away," his father answered.

Harry was staring intently at his dinner, as his mind worked double-time. Was this the right course? Neville, an old friend, would be put into considerable danger. There was already so many people in danger because of him, he didn't think he could handle one more. Neville had probably moved on, met a nice woman, and settled down.

"Is he living alone?" Harry asked, staring at Mr. Wealsey with inquisitive, bright green eyes.

Mr. Weasley's ears turned redder, as he pulled on his collar, he was sweating profusely. "He has a three year old daughter, his wife died in childbirth."

Harry was staring so hard that he jumped almost completely out of his seat when Ginny's fork went clattering to the floor.

"You're kidding me right? It isn't right to endanger Neville's family like this," Harry said, looking shocked at the very idea.

"Dad, is there anyone else?" Ginny asked, appearing at the table once more after she had reclaimed her fork from under the table, she was uncharacteristically red in the face.

"You must understand, we didn't contact _him_ first, he contacted us, or at least had been trying to for several months. He has no family left, only his daughter, and his in-laws live in Canada. His daughter is showing signs of being magical and he suspects Deatheaters may suspect who he truly is, so he wants to go into hiding," Remus spoke up.

Harry sputtered and Ron's eyebrows were close to his to his blue eyes as he pondered. Hermione, being her normal self was biting her lower lip in worry. Ginny though, had a strange gleam in her eye, very strange indeed.

When no other opposition arose Remus said softly, "it's settled then, we leave, tomorrow. Thank you Molly, that was delicious," he complemented, pushing his chair back and rising from it. He then walked from the room.

Harry's green eyes were bright with suppressed anger. "Thank you Mrs. Weasley, that was great," he too complemented, leaving the room quickly, with his fists in tight balls by his sides.

Ron and Hermione quietly left the room, almost unnoticed except for Moody's smirk and knowing look. Ginny then left following Harry, one thing on her mind. She had just discovered something very interesting. Not totally shocking, but still something very _interesting_.

* * *

_That same night…_

She loved moments like these, just the quiet, the beautiful peacefulness that she always felt near him. He could calm her down, but then, at the same moment, he would excite her, until her heart was beating in a frenzy. They were someplace private, hard to find in a cramped cavern. Her hand was playing with his red hair, as his head rested on her right leg.

"Ron…"

"Hmmm?"

"We're really leaving tomorrow. But, what about position that you left at cavern 34. What about the children that I left?" Hermione asked, her once calm facial features now etched with worry.

Ron sighed and shifted, his head resting farther up her thigh then before.

"I was thinking about that too. We can't go back, not through that same patch of wilderness, it's too dangerous. I nearly went mad when you were captured, I'm not going to let that happen again," he whispered as he caressed her bare leg that had been revealed when her robe had ridden up passed her knee.

"I agree," she said simply, beginning to trace designs on his neck with her finger. "I love you."

Ron sat up to look at her, staring at her intently with his cobalt blue eyes, "I love you too," he returned, cupping her chin, barely touching her with his hand as he leaned in for a kiss.

_Meanwhile…_

"Harry! Would you listen to me for a minute!" Ginny scolded, wiggling away from his searching lips.

Harry frowned and without his glasses he squinted at her fuzzy form.

"What?"

"I was trying to tell you something before you began to maul me."

"You didn't act like I was mauling you, in fact, you were enjoying it quite a lot," Harry pointed out, fumbling for his glasses for a minute before he found them.

Ginny rolled her eyes and rearranged her clothes. "Now then, just listen to me for a minute. I saw something, earlier at dinner."

Harry scowled at the memory of dinner, and watched as Ginny instantly bristled.

"Don't you dare scowl at me!" Ginny admonished, looking hurt and angry.

Harry's eyes flew open as he mentally smacked his forehead with his palm. Marvelous, now she was mad at him. Not a good thing.

"I wasn't scowling at you… I was just thinking about dinner. What did you want to tell me?" Harry asked trying to fix the mess he had now gotten himself into.

Ginny's face softened and she relaxed. "Well, you see I dropped my fork on the floor, and I bent to pick it up, and I saw something…"

Harry laughed aloud. "Was it Moody's bare leg? Because you know that is a horrific thing for anybody to witness. I did, once. It was his 'wearing muggle shorts' phase. I had nightmares for months," he explained, clearly shivering at the memory.

"No it wasn't Moody's leg, it was… I saw," she began, "Ron and Hermione playing footsie under the table. Now, that is horrific! Your best friend's foot in your brother's crotch," she finished, the very tips of her ears turning pink.

Harry only blinked at her. His mind having stopped all normal functional. A huge neon sign seemed to flash in his mind, "**FOOTSIE, FOOTSIE, FOOTSIE**".

"Woah, wait a just a moment. You're taking the mickey out on me, right?" Harry asked, his adams apple bobbing up and down as he gulped.

"No, I'm not."

Harry's mind finally grasped what she was saying. "Wow… I wonder when they started…," Harry began, searching for the right word, "…seeing each other."

Ginny only shrugged.

* * *

**A/N: Wow... Two months since the last update. I'm evil. Did you all like HBP? As you can tell this is now very AU (Alternate Universe). But this story will be continued so my regular readers and reviewerswill nothave to worry about that. **

**And I hope just because this is AU none of you stop reading, or reviewing ;).**

**Chapter 13 will definetly not take another two months to write, instead I would guess about three weeks.**

**Thanks!**


	13. Secrets Revealed

_A/N: This chapter deals heavily with past events, mainly in Chapter 9, so, if you have not read that chapter since I first published it, I would advise you to possibly read it again. Nine is a shorter one so it won't take long ;)._

**Chapter 13: Secrets Revealed**

Pale green eyes stared at the ceiling, thinking and contemplating about the gnawing, inhuman hunger in his stomach. The want for blood and gore almost consumed him, he wanted, oh how he wanted, a fresh and giving neck to drink from. But no, instead he, once again, would just have to settle for the blood of some unlucky wild animal. As he began to daydream, or night dream as the case may be, there came a knock on his door.

Derek growled and he felt the unwanted fangs begin to grow. He willed them back into his mouth as he cursed himself. Who was bothering him this time of night?

"Who is it?" he asked harshly, rising from his bed to stand at the securely locked door.

"It's Arthur."

His fangs reacted once again. Shit! I have no damn self-control. He cursed himself some more as his hands began to twitch to open the locked door. No… he would not.

"Now is not the best time Weasley," he hissed.

"Actually it is very important. We need to talk," Mr. Weasley responded, shuffling nervously in front of the closed door.

Realizing that the annoying redheaded man was not going to go away, Derek looked around the room for a possible answer. There was only a small chair, a bed, and an old dresser, which for reason (he could not fathom why), was orange. He inspected the chair; it was small, but solid. _Yes, _he thought, _that will work nicely. _He secured himself into the chair, taking two old, worn ties and tying his wrists to the chair; hiding the ties under his robe sleeves. He then, very quickly, muttered a wandless sticking charm--he struggled back and forth but could not get his arms free from their confines. It would work, temporarily.

"Come in, Weasley," he said, nonchalantly, slumping into the chair like he didn't have a care in the world.

The door opened and Mr. Weasley stuck his balding head around the door, waiting a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dark. Once his eyes had adjusted he walked inside, making a move to close the door behind him.

"No, Weasley. Keep it open."

"Oh… yes… of course," Mr. Weasley stuttered, surprised by the vampire's request, "but what I have to say is private. I wouldn't want it to be overheard by anyone else."

"I have wards that will alert me if anyone comes down this hallway. There is no need to worry about that," he finished.

"Well, all right then. I'm sure you know of our position, raiding Death Eaters coming this way and how we have to leave," Mr. Weasley began, still standing by the open door.

Derek gave a curt nod of understanding.

So Mr. Weasley continued, "It has become even more urgent, and we as a group, have just decided to leave this cavern, tomorrow," he divulged, wringing his hands.

Suddenly realizing what the mortal, redheaded man was doing there (in his room), Derek gave sharp bark of laughter. "You don't have to worry about that Weasley. I have no want to go gallivanting around with you."

Mr. Weasley sighed with relief.

"Is that all, Weasley?"

"No, not quite. I also want to talk to you about the creatures," he finished with a clear shudder.

Derek grunted with frustration. _They had already gone over this time and again._ _Why was Weasley bringing it up again?_

"I know what you speak of. They are powerful monsters, the wolf-things, but if you do not travel West, than you, your friends, and family ought to be safe."

"They are allies of You-Know-Who, and--," Mr. Weasley began again but was interrupted.

The vampire rolled his eyes toward the dirt ceiling. "You should take a leaf out of Potter's book and call him Voldemort."

"I'll take that into consideration, but I just wish I knew more about these _creatures _and then maybe we would know more about _his _plans. What is he planning to do with them? What kind of havoc will he spread?"

"Voldemort takes pleasure in having my _kind_ do his various biddings; that includes using _are_ ways with Mother-Earth to breed the creatures. He also enjoys the fact that he now has an evil purpose for the mortals your kind calls muggles. I would expect him to use the creatures to kill the last remaining wizards and witches that do not support him and, of course to hunt down Potter. But I don't know why we're even discussing this, we've talked about it so many times that I thought it was encrypted into your mortal brain," Derek finally finished.

"So, you have no other information that might be useful?"

"No."

Defeated, Mr. Weasley turned back toward the open door, but was stopped.

"Yes, actually I do. Watch her and your son."

"What?" Mr. Weasley asked turning back around to look at him.

"The woman with brown hair and your son with the large nose--watch them. As Potter's best friends they may have the key to defeating _him_."

"Ron and Hermione?"

"Yes. And one more thing, your daughter may be far more important than you give her credit for, watch her as well. There is more to it than meets the eye. Have a safe trip," Derek spoke mysteriously.

With one more bewildered look, Mr. Weasley left, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Hermione had decided that the key to this whole trekking business was to stop thinking entirely, until there was nothing but encouraging chanting in her head, _keep walking, keep walking, keep walking._ But sometimes after a full day of walking, even the chanting didn't help; instead, at those times, the chanting just sounded like annoying buzzing in her head. 

Not yet having fully recovered, the long days of walking that it would take to get to Leominster was particularly hard for Hermione. It helped to be around people she had known for a good portion of her life instead of strangers, but it was hard for her not to show the pain she was in. She understood that Ron knew, as did Harry and Ginny, but they, much to her relief, said nothing. Worried over her health (as well as her safety) Ron was always by her side, from when they began to walk in the morning, to stopping at night.

She was comforted by Ron's presence, including the amulet she wore around her neck. Hermione had not looked upon it since she had packed it away months ago when Bill had come and rescued her. She liked the feel of the string around her neck that held the braided pendent. Whenever she was frightened or a nightmare had hit her during the night, she would grab it and hold it close. It helped her to remember nice things, better memories than the ones she often would remember. People falling to the floor, dead from the curse of a laughing Death Eater, fighting for their lives and the lives of their friends; ultimately their lives being sacrificed so that another might be saved.

Hermione shivered and shifted in her sleeping bag. She often had trouble sleeping, and trying to sleep outdoors just made it worse. There were also times that she was just so exhausted that it was impossible to sleep.

"Hermione?"

She jumped in her sleeping bag and turned to the voice; Ginny.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" she asked, worried that she had woken the redheaded woman up.

"No, you didn't. I was going to ask if you wanted something to help you sleep?" the other woman asked.

Hermione could faintly see Ginny sitting up, she expected that Ginny was looking at her, and suddenly began to feel a little self-conscious.

"That would be great, Ginny."

"Okay, just give me a minute," Ginny answered, grabbing the bag that she kept next to her when she slept. Being careful not to wake the others, she quietly she rummaged through it, looking for something.

"Here it is," Ginny declared, searching out Hermione's hand in the dark. When the hand had been found, Hermione was handed a small glass vial.

Hermione saw that the potion inside glowed a soft silvery color and she was reminded of the moon or of stars.

"Thanks Ginny, I really appreciate it," Hermione whispered, pulling the top off of the bottle and taking a large sip. Immediately feeling drowsy, she clumsily handed it back to the other woman.

She drifted off to sleep quickly and because of Ginny's sleep draught, she finally had a nightmare free sleep. It was a relief. Ginny though, did not go back to sleep immediately, instead she sat and pondered. Back when they had all been at Hogwarts, you would have to have been blind not to see how perfect her brother and Hermione were for each other. Ginny's young mind had figured that out when she had first seen the two together when they'd been twelve. Even back then they bickered like an old married couple, reminding Ginny greatly of her parents. When had the two finally figured out that they were meant for each other? In school and just never told anyone? Or just recently? She was burning to ask Hermione, as was Harry, but they both did not, since they had kept their relationship hidden--from everyone. Ginny's mind finally at rest, she lay back down and slowly went back to sleep.

While the group trekked their way across the Welsh/English border, Voldemort continued to rage war against his enemies. The man, if you could even call him that, who was most feared kept a low profile, letting his Death Eaters and other evil hearted members of his army do the killing and torturing. He was biding his time until Harry Potter would resurface, and then he would strike, ending it once and for all. Voldemort knew it would be soon, he could sense it, taste it in the air--it was only a matter of time.

* * *

"Master…" came a timid voice from the darkness, a loan figure approaching a golden throne. 

Atop the throne sat a most ghastly figure. It was white and scaly, with huge pieces of equally white skin peeling off of the hairless head. His forehead was high and had no eyebrows. His eyes were like no eyes the Death Eater had ever seen, narrow, with pupils the color of the red roses he had once given his girlfriend. He barely had a nose and for ears there were just two holes at the side of his head. His lips were thin and blood red, contrasting against his white skin. The man's hideous face then ended at his pointy chin, the rest of his body covered with a black cloak.

"Yes, Zabini?" the man on the throne said silkily, his face hard set and furious.

"I have come with news, my Lord," the dark skinned Death Eater declared, emerging from the shadows, coming to stand in front of his master.

The hideous man paused for a moment and said nothing. The Death Eater fought the urge to fidget as his master stayed silent. The look on his master's face made him nervous, Voldemort was grinning a serial killer's grin.

"I see Mr. Zabini, and what would it be?"

"Master, word has just come the Dark Forest of Wales, from the Vampires. They've sent a delegate. It seems that a clan of vampires captured an unknown witch several weeks ago. It appears that the witch may have been--"

"Several weeks ago?" Voldemort hissed, his red eyes burning with fury.

"Please Master, we did not know of this until the delegate arrived…" Zabini pleaded, watching his master's bony, white hand reach for his wand.

"_Crucio_!"

The Death Eater screamed and fell to the hard stone floor, his face was contorted with the fiery pain, and he twisted this way and that. Voldemort sneered as he lifted his wand, breaking the curse. Zabini gasped and struggled to get to his feet, his whole body racked with convulsions.

"Bring in the vampire!"

Zabini nodded, drool spilling from his open mouth. Clumsily he made his way to an arched doorway. Within just a few minutes the Death Eater was back, followed by a tall pale figure. Zabini was no longer shaking but he had begun to walk with a pronounced limp. The vampire showed no emotion but did sneer at Zabini as he approached Voldemort.

"Your name," Voldemort hissed, sounding like the snakes that always surrounded him. It wasn't a question but a demand. One that, if not answered, would have terrible consequences.

"My name is Alva, of the A-Delta sect. We are led by the brave Miroslav, my Lord," the unknown vampire answered, the vampire's black eyes cold and hardened.

"I seem to recall telling the one you call Miroslav, that I was to be told when a witch _or wizard_ in your forest was captured."

"Miroslav sends his deepest apologies but they were just able to send me to deliver the news that the mortal may have information that you deem to be _valuable_," the vampire said, not flinching as others would have done.

Voldemort stayed silent for a moment, his long fingers drumming on the right arm of his throne. "I will show mercy to you and your clan, for now. I wish to see the witch, bring her to me" the Dark Lord instructed.

For the first time, an emotion that could be called fear passed over the vampire's face. "My Lord, I am deeply sorry to report that the mortal is no longer imprisoned. There was a traitor among us, a spy to the rebels, and the traitor released the prisoner."

"I will presume that you were able to _detain _the traitor," Voldemort hissed menacingly, glaring at the vampire.

"My Lord, I am sorry to report that the traitor was not apprehended, but escaped with the mortal. We have been searching for the traitor and mortal in the surrounding forest, but they are not to be found."

If Voldemort were hooked up to a steam engine, he would most certainly have red-hot steam billowing from his ears. Dealing with the vampires was a problem, yes they were powerful and evil, but they could not be punished like his other Death Eaters. He wished that he could simply just make the entire vampire population disappear. Just vanish into thin air. Sadly though, that was impossible since those _half-breeds_ were important to his plan. Without them, his plan was nothing but a fantasy. The knowledge that the vampires possessed was the only way Voldemort could create the creatures, and then he could rage complete genocide against his opposition. Once those behind Potter were dead, then Potter would be captured and then killed, finally. Then, and only then, could he make his last attack on the filthy muggles. The world would then be his. The very idea tasted sweet on his tongue. His plan was the best he had ever come up with, even his enemies would agree.

"Zabini! Leave us," Voldemort ordered. The Death Eater quickly left.

"You will listen to me," Voldemort began again, "I want you to go back to your clan and I want the traitor and the witch found. If you do not have them here, kneeling before me, within three weeks, I will no longer show mercy. Use what ever you think is necessary, werewolves, giants, dementors, or even the creatures. I want them found. Leave!"

The message having been made perfectly clear, the vampire left in a hurry. Making his way back to his clan's underground lair.

* * *

While Voldemort schemed and threw himself into a full-blown rage over the missing witch, our group began their day with good news. 

"I've been looking at our maps and I do believe that we are ahead of schedule and that we have crossed the border," Hermione announced excitedly, flipping through her maps of the area.

Everyone cheered, the news was very exciting since it had been four years since anyone had been in their home country of England, and everyone was elated.

"Do you really think so?" Harry asked with surprise as he lifted his heavy backpack onto his back.

"I'm 100 percent sure."

"Oh Hermione, that's lovely news!" Mrs. Weasley gushed, her transfigured face all smiles. (Now that they were no longer in wooded land, they often had to pass through farmland, avoiding roads and towns wherever possible. For safety reasons they had all changed their appearances, and the older members of the group had transfigured themselves to appear to be younger. This was done so that it would seem like they were a group of University students out on some nature walk.)

Soon after that, they began their excursion for the day, many of them in groups. The younger members of the group in the middle and the older in the front and back. Unlike the other days, Ginny and Hermione walked together and Harry and Ron walked together. (Jabir and Andrea were behind them).

Hermione looked at Harry curiously… he was acting strange. For some reason Harry had sneakily pulled Ron to the side and then Ginny was suddenly at her side, pulling her along. Ron also looked surprised.

Hermione could hear them whispering just faintly but could not make out what they were saying.

"_Er… Ron?"_

"_What?" Ron asked, surprised by Harry's slightly red cheeks. Ron too began to feel uncomfortably by Harry's unusual gaze. _

"_I wanted to talk to you about something, but without the girls present," Harry answered, looking toward Ginny and Hermione's direction to make sure they were far enough ahead so they would not overhear. _

"_Um--okay…" Ron said uncertainly._

_Harry thought for a moment before he began, being careful as he picked his words. "Do you remember the beginning of seventh year, where you and Hermione were fighting and not talking to each other?"_

"_Well, sure. It wasn't all that long ago, just five years."_

"_What was it about?" _

"_Some misunderstanding, I guess I don't really remember all the details. Why are you asking?" Ron lied, he knew exactly what the fight was over, but he didn't feel like revealing the reason to Harry._

"_I was just wondering. Weren't you dating Lisa Turpin around that time?" Harry continued, nonchalantly._

"_Err, yeah."_

"_And wasn't Hermione dating Terry Boot?" Harry asked, keeping his voice and face as even as possible. _

_Immediately Harry saw it, the change in Ron's posture and his tone of voice. Harry had finally hit a nerve. _

"_I suppose so… Harry what is this about?" _

"_I just heard, well, I guess for the time being we could just call it a rumor, about my best friends. Do you want to tell me about it, or not?"_

"_Harry, are you feeling alright?"_

_Harry grunted in frustration and halted, turning toward Ron who had stopped as well. So, he wanted to go down the hard way; that was fine by Harry. Even if it would take a vice to pry the truth out of Ron he would use it. Because Harry wanted to know what his best friends were doing. Actually he _knew _what they were doing, but he wanted to know _why

"_Don't play dumb with me--," Harry paused as the rest of the group passed by. _

"_Don't you two lag behind," Tonks warned, continuing on. _

"_We won't," Harry called, turning back toward Ron. _

_Ron had a defeated look about him, with his head hanging, staring at his shoe. "You, uh, know then?"_

_Thankful that he didn't need to spell it out completely before Ron divulged the truth, Harry only nodded. Ron looked up. _

"_How did you find out?"_

"_Ginny saw you."_

_Ron squeaked. "D--doing what?"_

_Harry suddenly felt sick. Lovely, just peachy, Ron thought that Ginny had seen more than what she had actually seen. That meant that they had done what ever Ron thought that Ginny had seen. _

"_Not that!" Harry exclaimed, feeling like they were fifteen again and had just "borrowed" a couple of dirty magazines out of Fred and George's room at the Burrow. _

"_At dinner, she saw you doing _stuff_ under the table," Harry muttered, looking everywhere but at Ron. _

"_Oh," Ron uttered meekly._

Meanwhile, back near the front of the group, Hermione looked back searching for Ron and Harry. Not seeing them she panicked a bit.

"What's the matter?" Ginny asked also turning around.

"I don't see Ron and Harry anywhere. They were just behind us a minute ago."

Tonks approached them and set into stride next to them.

"They're fine, I just saw them stop a few minutes ago. They are right behind us now. Don't worry Moody is keeping an eye on them," Tonks reassured.

Relieved, Hermione continued on her way, but not before she saw Ginny's unusual grin and twinkle in her eye. Ron, on the other hand, was not feeling such relief, instead he was beet red and probably the most uncomfortable he had ever been in his entire life. Ginny and Harry's plan had obviously worked, the truth had been revealed.

* * *

**A/N: First I would like to say a huge thank you to my beta fanfictionsissy who was a big help with this chapter. Secondly I would also like to thank my reviewers, you guys are great. Once again you can probably expect chapter 14 to be completly finished some where around three weeks from now. **

**Please review!**


	14. Rain, Rain Go Away Part I

**Chapter 14: Rain, Rain Go Away Part I**

Hermione was surprised. Actually, surprised might be an understatement because she was along the lines of shell-shocked.

"They what!" Hermione hissed the day after Harry had cornered Ron.

Ron was still shaken, even days later. It was a shock that Harry and Ginny knew about his and Hermione's relationship, they had been so careful, only showing affection for each other in complete and total privacy; except for that one incident at the dinner table. It had been hard for him to keep a strait face through out Hermione's _exploration_, in which she used her foot. But it had all been in vain, his sister had seen them anyway and then had told Harry, which then resulted in the most embarrassing conversation of Ron's life. But then he soon discovered it could get much worse, when he told Hermione that Harry and Ginny knew about them. Later that would be a conversation Ron would wish he could wipe from his memory.

Ron winced dramatically at Hermione's horrified expression. "What was I supposed to do, deny it? Ginny saw us; I couldn't lie."

"Of course you didn't have to lie but… I just don't want anyone finding out. And now that Harry and Ginny know, everyone else is going to find out, including your mother. She's going to find out, and there will be embarrassing questions, and she will ask us if we're getting married, and we'll have to say no! She'll be disappointed and your mum will be mad at me."

Ron blinked in surprise. "Why in the world would she be mad at you? She'll be mad at me."

"You don't understand! I'm the woman who's sleeping with her little boy!"

"Uh…."

Hermione sighed in frustration.

It had gone on from there, but much to Ron's relief Hermione calmed down fairly quickly. At least neither his girlfriend or Harry had been mad at him but he hadn't thought of his sister being angry. She'd scolded and punched him in the arm, (Ginny was surprisingly strong for such a petite person), for not telling her about what she called the "happy news." Apparently everyone thought that Ron and Hermione were just perfect for each other; when he had talked to Hermione about this on the trail, he received an answer he did not expect.

"Well, I knew that Ginny thought it was a good idea."

Ron gawked at her for a moment before answering. "What do you mean? Wait a minute! Did you talk to my sister about…us?"

"Of course I did Ron, but that was before we ever went into hiding. Who was I supposed to talk to about how much you annoyed me because you refused to notice me," Hermione answered.

"I thought that _you_ didn't want to notice me!"

"That just shows how blind we were as children."

"Are you telling me, if I had just asked you for a date years ago, you would have accepted?" Ron asked incredulously, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Of course. But I thought you already knew this, we talked about it. Remember?"

"I knew that, but… when you told me you fancied me for awhile, I thought you meant when we were out of Hogwarts, not when we were still in school."

Hermione sighed. "Apparently you're still blind."

While Hermione's last comment had stung, Ron didn't dwell on it for long. After all they had places to go, people to see. The group also became more and more cautious as they neared muggle civilization. More fears also began to rise as it began to rain, a steady downpour that they had been dreading. The group had been lucky when it had come to the weather, most of Britain had been witnessing below average rainfall, and now it seemed mother earth was making up for it. It rained for two days straight, from day till night. Even the most powerful water-repellent charm couldn't keep the group from becoming soaked. The ground became muddy and slick with rain, the temperature dropped an unnatural 20 degrees, and the wind gusted; these conditions made traveling hard, often times impossible, and they began to fall behind schedule. So each day, instead of becoming closer to their destination, they seemed to get farther away from Leominster. It was becoming desperate.

* * *

"What do we do?" 

The question was finally broached by Tonks; they had all wanted to ask but they were afraid of the answer. Turn back? Out of the question. Head in a different direction and not go to Leominster? A waste of time, all of them said.

"Look, we cannot travel in the rain anymore; I say we stop somewhere," Emmiline Vance said, looking hopeful.

"Where would we stop, Vance?" Moody growled, one eye focused forward and his magical eye in the back of his head.

"A very good question," Harry added, immediately agreeing with Moody.

Emmiline scowled at Moody and especially at Harry. "Well, I've seen several muggle inns along the road. Perhaps we ought to stop at one of those."

"An inn!" everyone exclaimed, shocked.

"Yes, an inn."

"Well, she does have a point…" Hermione muttered. "We are all very tired and with this rain it's only a matter of time before one of us becomes ill. Perhaps it is a good idea to stop for some rest, for a single night or maybe more. And with the time we're making, it being so bad and all, I don't think it would hurt to stop."

"It's risky. What if we let something slip and we're caught?" Mrs. Weasley worried.

"Mum, Hermione's right, one of us is bound to get sick, or come down with something if we each don't get a warm bed to sleep in for the night, and maybe even a warm meal," Ron pointed out, his boots slopping in the mud and muck as he shifted from one foot to the other.

Hermione gave him a small smile of thanks, Ron winked in return. Ron frowned when he found his sister snickering at them; Ginny saw his frown and gave an apologetic shrug.

"They're all good points, but the question comes down to one simple thing: can we afford to risk it?" Remus asked, looking from one face to the other.

Ms. Vance scowled. "What in hell's name is the chance that there would be a Death Eater staying at a muggle inn? I say we do it."

"Emmiline there is always a chance, and with You-Know-Who focusing so much of his power on the muggles, I would say that the chance is getting greater," McGonagall argued.

They argued back and forth for the rest of that day, before they decided on a course of action--they would stop at the first inn they came across.

* * *

Elizabeth Evans had always been one of those small town girls. Through much of her life she had stayed and had been firmly routed in her small English village, which had remained relatively untouched; except for the billionaires that vacationed on the outskirts of town. But then she started to work at her family's inn and pub, where she had the chance to meet new and interesting people. She was also able to have a few whirlwind romances in the process. There was one, years later, she would never forget. 

The only word she could think to call the man that captured her heart for those few short days was, suspicious. Henry Leery had come into town to stay for a few nights at the inn, with a large group of University students out on some walk for the environment. A real sweet talker, very suave and at the same time really cute in a boyish sort of way. The thing that Elizabeth remembers best about him was his eyes. They were the color of amber or maybe of smoky quarts, they had flecks of light green in them--she would always remember his eyes.

She remembered, very vividly, the first she saw him in the pub…

"Hey, Girl! We have customers, so get off of your arse and come serve the ladies and gents some drinks."

Elizabeth sighed and looked over her shoulder at Frank. "Can't you see I'm busy? Oh and by the way, you would think that since my family owns this pub, you would be a little bit nicer to me."

Frank scowled at her and ignored what she had said. "You can finish those later," he pointed at the dishes that she had been washing, "now, come on. There is a whole group of them."

She cursed dramatically, pulled off her rubber gloves, and pushed through the swinging doors that connected the kitchen to the rest of the pub. Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks at the sudden crowd that had developed in the pub (they had been slow with barely any customers for the last week because of the rain, so it was a surprise to see so many people). She approached the first person at the bar, pulled out her little writing pad and her pen.

"So, what can I get for you?" she asked.

"Err… well, I uh…"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at the man's confusion.

The man sitting next to the other guy quickly stepped in for his friend. "Sorry he doesn't get out much. It's all going to be one large order, 15 fish and chips and uh…"

"And 15 glasses of water," a blond-haired woman that had come in with the large group interrupted.

There was some grumbling about this but Elizabeth tried to ignore them, except she couldn't and caught most of their argument. It seemed to consist around the fact that the men in the group wanted a mead, beer, or a whisky but the women said no. After just a minute, or so, of argumentation a decision was made, the ladies won and no alcoholic drinks were ordered. Except for one. After the other members of the group had gone up to their rooms for the night, one lagged behind and ordered a large mead… Henry.

She spent much of that night talking to him, becoming memorized in his well-told jokes and witty humor. Not only was he funny, but also extremely attractive, with his rugged good looks and amazing eyes. It wasn't as if she was talked into sleeping with him, instead it was definitely a 50-50 thing; she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. It was spur of the moment. One minute they were talking (and joking) and the next minute they were both in her small flat, snogging passionately toward her bedroom.

Elizabeth didn't know though that he wasn't who he had said he was. Henry Leery wasn't even close to being the real _him. _It had all been a facade, one that he had pulled off well; without any hitches. He hadn't wanted to lie, but telling her who he really was? Unthinkable, not to mention laughable.

* * *

Hermione had missed a comfortable bed more than she had realized. It had been lovely to climb into a soft, warm bed and just drift off to sleep, comfortable in the knowledge that it would not rain over them in the night. A hot shower had also done wonders, and had made Hermione wonder that if a shower had felt so good, what would a long soak in tub feel like? 

Since she was the last one ready (Tonks, Andrea, Ginny, and Emmiline had shared a room together and had gone down to breakfast before her), Ron had the perfect chance to surprise her. She was in the shower and almost finished when she heard a sudden sound.

Thinking it was Ginny (Hermione had seen her forgotten purse and wondered if the red-head had come back to retrieve it) she called out, "Ginny, is that you?"

Hermione didn't get an answer. "Tonks?" No answer again.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, who is it?"

"Who do you want it to be?" a husky voice whispered in her ear as a pair of hands covered her eyes.

Hermione jumped in surprise but quickly recovered her footing.

"Ron, you scared the… the… well you scared me. What are you doing? Anyone can walk in," Hermione hissed, trying to turn around but was stopped by Ron's body pressing into her back.

Ron laughed in his rather annoying way of his, like he knew something she didn't know. "Guess."

Well, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was poking her in the lower back, but she decided to humor him for the fun of it.

"I can't possibly imagine. Maybe you ran out of soap and came to get some? Or maybe you need someone to wash your back?"

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny Hermione. Guess again."

Hermione groaned in slight frustration. "We can not do _it _here. We'll be caught!" she admonished, clutching his hands that had come down from her eyes to her middle, hugging her from behind.

"No we won't, I used a imperturbable charm on the door and I _silencio'ed _the room, so there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Have I mentioned how good you look wet?" Ron asked mischievously, sweeping her wet hair away from her neck, and kissing the revealed skin.

"Ron… We can't," Hermione tried again, quickly losing her resolve as she turned her neck so that Ron had a more direct route to that area.

"Hermione, you know you can't resist my devilishly good looks," Ron teased with a chuckle that he tried to hide by burying his face into her neck.

Hermione crumbled (let's face it, it was inevitable). "Well, alright," she said.

"I knew you would give in," Ron said in a mock-smug sort of way, turning her around so that they were facing each other.

Hermione smiled up at him and put a hand up to his freckled cheek. She liked him this way, his normal "Ron Weasley" self, not the fake brown haired and brown eyed version. Hermione put her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes, with the water continuing to cascade down; Ron leaned down and they kissed. It turned out to be a very nice shower, for the both of them.

_Meanwhile…_

"Hey! Has anybody seen Ron or George?" Ginny asked sitting down beside Tonks (the disguised version) and taking a breakfast role from the platter in the middle of the table.

Hassan swallowed and took another fork-full of eggs. "No I haven't seen them all morning, or last night."

"You know… That's peculiar, I didn't fall asleep right away, and about when I was just beginning to dose off, I saw George come in. It _was _rather late though, maybe it was Ron," Remus put in, slathering marmalade on some toast.

The young and blond-haired version of Mrs. Weasley started and looked up from her newspaper. "Yes, but where was the other? Oh no, I hope he's alright."

"I'm sure he's fine, which ever boy it was. They both probably just stayed up late for a drink and the other one got in later than the other," the equally young version of Mr. Weasley pointed out, trying to reassure his worried wife.

Mrs. Weasley's cheeks reddened in anger, "I told them both that there would be no alcohol!"

Mr. Weasley realized his mistake and quickly tried to correct it. While Mr. And Mrs. Weasley squabbled, their only daughter made another mistake, much like the one her father had just made. She thought aloud.

"I wonder if Hermione would know where Ron is?"

"Why would Hermione know where Ron might be?" her mother asked, her attention caught.

Ginny mentally slapped herself across the head and cursed silently. "_Damn, a slip of the tongue. If mum finds out about Ron and Hermione they're both going to end up as corned beef."_

"Err… Well, I just wondered if maybe she had seen him in the halls, you know, in passing," Ginny lied quickly, coming up with a relatively good story fast.

Mrs. Weasley accepted the answer and turned again to her husband. Ginny looked toward Harry's way and smiled, sweeping her hand across her forehead, pretending to swipe the sweat off, as if she had just missed a close call. Harry winked back. Then, suddenly, Mad-Eye stilled and stopped eating. Some how alerted, Ginny looked at the man (a younger, unscarred version, and with out the magical eye) and caught him grinning from ear to ear, his eyes going back and forth between Harry and Ginny.

"_Oh shit! What did he just see? Did he just see Harry wink at me? Or maybe he has figured out I lied about Ron and Hermione? Oh shit! I'm dead either way," _Ginny worried in her head.

Moody chuckled softly and turned back to his nearly empty plate.

"What's so funny?" Tonks asked him, catching his chuckle.

Moody looked up and grinned, again, looking every bit as crazy and weird as he really was. "Oh, just thinking." The man's eyes flickered back to Ginny and when they flickered back to his plate, she looked at Harry. His eyebrows were raised and he was looking at Moody and then he looked at Ginny.

"Thinking? Right…" Tonks said skeptically, looking at Moody as if he had just lost his head (literally) and had spurted chicken feathers.

Then, Ginny was saved more embarrassment when Ron suddenly made his appearance as he practically bounded down the stairs, entering the small pub. His cheeks were red and he had a goofy grin plastered all over his face.

"Good morning!" Ron greeted joyfully, taking his seat, and immediately began to load a plate full of food.

"Good morning dear, how did you sleep?" Mrs. Weasley asked, passing her son some assorted jams and jellies.

Ron took them with a grateful smile and replied, "fine mum, how 'bout you?"

"Marvelously, actually. Ron when did you go to bed last night?"

Ron looked up suddenly at his mother and gulped. "Twelve o'clock or something like that. I stayed up late talking to Frank, the bartender."

Mrs. Weasley looked strait into Ron's eye and analyzed him as if she was an interrogator. Ron felt like he had an insanely bright light shining down on him, or maybe a constant drip of water coming down on his forehead. Mrs. Weasley must have concluded that her youngest son was telling the truth because she cracked a smile.

"Tell me, what did the two of you talk about?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Well there was this really weird muggle sport on the _televirsion_," Ron pronounced incorrectly, "called rugby. It was wicked."

Mr. Weasley's eyes bugged and he looked earnestly at Ron. "Muggle sport you say?"

"Yeah Dad, you should have been there," Ron answered.

Soon, Ginny tuned out Ron and Mr. Weasley's conversation about ruby and went back to her own thoughts. _So that explains why I haven't seen Ron, and come to think of it, why Hermione is so late; she should have been down ages ago. _Ginny laughed in her head over Ron's funny, albeit disgusting, activities with her best friend, as her questions were answered. Ten minutes later Hermione made her quiet, well-timed entrance after Ron.

"Morning all," Hermione greeted, avoiding looking directly at Ginny, Ron, and Harry.

Ginny then realized that all but one of their group was present… George still wasn't there. She had forgotten, for just a moment that George still wasn't accounted for. Where could he be? The other question was answered just a short minute later when George walked in, but not down the stairs, instead he walked into the pub through the front door.

"Where have you been!"

George halted and realized that his mother was practically glaring at him.

"Err… I went out for an early morning stroll," George replied quickly.

Ginny, unlike her mother, realized with a jolt that George was wearing the same clothes that he had had on yesterday. _"Well, well this is very curious. What has my brother been doing?"_

* * *

_A few hours before…_

Sun light filtered in through the drapes in the bedroom, illuminating the bed and its one occupant. The storm had lessened and had allowed the sun to peak through. The bedroom was scantly furnished, with just a bed, (and of course the bedding), a few hanging pictures on the walls that showed scenes of the English countryside, a bedside table, and a single chair near the closet. There were two doors in the small bedroom, (not counting the closet doors), one which led to the living room and the other to a connected bathroom. The walls were painted a boring taupe and the trim in the room was painted a lighter cream color and carpet was a standard tan.

The bed's occupant shifted and awoke with a yawn and stretch. A tousled head poked its way out of the covers and with amber colored eyes, looked about. The man sat up, the covers falling down to reveal a bare chest. Realizing that his bedmate was in the shower and certainly not laying next to him, he rose out of the bed--completely naked. He walked, nonchalantly, towards the bathroom door and cracked it open, peaking inside; steam billowed out from the crack.

The shower stopped and the man heard a shower curtain being opened and towel retrieved from the towel bar.

"Henry is that you?" a woman's voice from inside the bathroom called out.

The man, obviously Henry, grinned and opened the door wider. Revealed to him was the arousing sight of an almost naked woman wrapped in a towel.

"Yeah, it's me," Henry answered, leaning against the doorjamb and taking her in with his eyes. "You look good enough to eat and, come to think of it, you certainly don't look shagged enough. From last night's round I would have figured that you would look thoroughly shagged."

The woman laughed, walked up to him, and pressed herself up against him, she dropped the towel and it was just skin against skin. She reached up and ran her long fingers through his brown hair, letting each soft strand fall through her fingers.

"I think that can be remedied."

_To be continued…_

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know the end may seem a little wonky but this chapter was getting _so_ long that I had to stop somewhere and I picked here. But there is good news (I sound likeone of thoseGiecho (sp?) commercials), because of the fact that this chapter and the next are just going to continuous with eachother, that means that chapter 15 will bewritten faster then the norm.So, expect the next chapter to be out in under two weeks.**

**Thank you to my wonderful reviewers and my beta! Oh, and Happy Halloween!**


	15. Rain, Rain Go Away Part II

_A/N: Okay, just to make sure there is no confusion on this chapter, the first scene of this chapter is sort of a "prologue" for this chapter and it takes place two days before chapter 14 starts. Then, after that, the rest of this chapter takes place right after chapter 14. ;)_

_Also, this chapter ties in with the first flashback in chapter 6: Hoping For a Future, just to let everyone know._

* * *

**Chapter 15: Rain, Rain Go Away Part II**

The pub was smoky from the regular costumers as they smoked their fags and cigars; it was also filled with noise. Drinks, mainly the alcoholic kind, and food were being handed out to the costumers as they laughed and celebrated with friends. A fiftieth birthday was being celebrated by a man and with him were his friends, many of whom he had known since he was a small boy. Others were on dates and celebrating new relationships. One patron however, was not there for a celebration; instead he was there to observe and stay quiet. That was his mission, his duty to the one he served.

"What ya having tonight?" a heavy-set man behind the bar asked the patron, pouring a large tumbler of something for another man.

The quiet man looked up and stared at the bartender, barely keeping himself from sneering at the worthless being before him. "Vodka, on the rocks."

The bartender frowned at the other man's tone but did as he was asked. He grabbed another tumbler from below the counter and also a bottle of colorless liquor; in the glass he poured some ice from a machine and over that, the vodka, and then he placed the glass in front of the quiet man. A bit of the liquid slopped over the side and with a curse the bartender soaked it up with a small towel. The man arched one eyebrow and again looked at the bartender.

"You ought to be more careful," the observer said, picking up the tumbler and taking a long drink.

"I would tell you to be careful what you say in this pub," the bartender retorted and then walked away to flirt with a scantily dressed woman at the end of the bar.

The man sneered at the other man's retreating back and took another drink, letting the mild flavor of the vodka wash over his tongue. He sat there at the bar for a while, not paying attention to the other people in the pub; instead he just looked straight ahead, as if he was waiting for something. He was nearly on his last straw and thinking about coming back the next night when he heard someone walk up and stop behind him. He looked down to watch as a smooth, unblemished, feminine pare of legs came to stand beside him. His eyes trailed up from the woman's legs to her hips and to her breasts and then finally to her overly painted face.

"You're late," he growled, as the woman slid on to the stool next to him.

"It takes time for a woman of my age to look this good," she answered, her short skirt riding up to reveal more of her thigh, to the point where just another inch or so would reveal the woman's black knickers.

"You look like a whore who's passed her prime," he sneered back, his eyes focused on the woman's scooped neckline.

"You seem to be enjoying the show, Finnegan."

"Stand up and bend over, and maybe I might," he answered, smirking at her.

The woman just laughed, throatily, and turned to him. "Maybe later boy, but right now we have business to take care of."

The Death Eater became serious and business like. "So, you have the information?"

"I do," the woman answered, "Potter and his silly little group will be arriving here in a day or two."

Finnegan scowled. "That's all the information you have? Mrs. Malfoy, I was expecting more than that."

"Well, Mr. Finnegan, that is the information that was given to me and that is the information I am giving to you. If you want more, I can't help you," Mrs. Malfoy answered.

Seamus paused and thought for a moment. "I cannot," he stressed out, "stay in this muggle hell-hole another day. What am I supposed to do?"

"Those are your orders, if you want to be killed then leave your post. The Dark Lord told you to stay here until Potter arrived," Mrs. Malfoy whispered to him as a gleam erupted in her eye. "Is it that you have a yellow streak running down your back? Or maybe you don't want to see your old friends? Is that it, Finnegan? " She teased and mocked.

His whole body swelled with anger. "You little bi--"

"Mr. Finnegan, a man of your prestigious position shouldn't be using such words. Now then, if our business is taken care of," she said, standing up, "do you have a room?"

"You are such a slut."

Mrs. Malfoy leaned in toward the much younger Death Eater, so that none of the surrounding muggles would hear what she was about to say.

"Yes, Mr. Finnegan that has been brought to my attention, several times, but since my husband's untimely death I have not had any regular male attention. I may look like a whore, Mr. Finnegan, but I am certainly not stupid, you will not turn me down. I have found, from my experience with my late husband, that he rather liked a submissive woman after he completed a raping. Since you are one of the Dark Lord's most successful torturers, I am sure you would appreciate such services that I have to offer," she finished, grabbing her small handbag and beginning to move away from him. "Are you going to show me to your room or not?"

He growled in frustration and rummaged around in his muggle coat for some money. When he found it he slapped it down on the bar as payment for his drink and stood to follow Mrs. Malfoy.

* * *

After everyone had finished their breakfast, George had changed his clothes, and eaten his own breakfast they all broke into small groups. Some went out to explore the town and others went back up to their rooms to catch up on much needed rest. Hermione, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and George were one such group that went out to see what the town had to offer. But before they could set off, Ginny had to get to the bottom of something: who was George with all night long. Ginny, being curious by nature, just had to know; so she cornered her brother right as they left the pub. 

"Err, George, can I please ask you something?"

Ginny saw her brother visibly wince.

"Uh… yeah sure sis. What is it?" he answered, fidgeting noticeably dreading what she was about to ask him.

Not only was Ginny curious, she was also one to be blunt, and blunt she was going to be. "Who were you with last night?"

"What do you mean?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and tried again. This time she took it slowly, as is she was talking to a small child who couldn't understand. All it did was make her brother angry.

"You obviously slept, as in shagged, with someone last night, which is why you had the same clothes on as you did yesterday. I was wondering who it was. Am I making sense now?"

George bristled. "It is none of your bloody business who I shag or what I do," he hissed, turning to stomp off in anger.

She grabbed his arm and apologized. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I was just wondering, I didn't been to butt-in or anything."

"Yes, you did."

"Yeah, okay, I did. But I didn't know you were going to be mad about it," Ginny paused for a moment and recalled something from the last night. "It was that waitress."

George's mouth fell open. "How did you figure that out?"

"It was relatively simple, you didn't take your eyes off of the woman the whole time you were eating."

"You're not going to tell are you?"

"Everybody figured it out, what with you in the same clothes and the whole 'morning stroll' business," Ginny answered.

He made a funny croaking sound in the back of his throat and replied, "Mum knows?"

"Well, what I meant to say was, everybody but her."

Just then Ron interrupted. "Are we going to go or not?" he asked, standing near the open door as he waited for his siblings.

"We're coming!" Ginny yelled back, exiting the pub and meeting the cold air outside. She pulled her coat around herself more tightly.

The conversation was dropped after that and instead they went out and had pure fun, something that they hadn't been able to do for years. The small town sported an equally small movie theater, so they went there first and they were able to see a movie. It was a short, slightly out of date British comedy, so they were out of there rather quickly. After that they broke into even smaller groups and went their separate ways. George took off by himself, Ron and Hermione did the same, as did Harry and Ginny. George was the first to leave as he headed towards the row of flats at the opposite end of town.

"I wonder where he's going?" Ron asked, gesturing toward his brother as George hurried away.

"Probably off to "visit" that woman he spent the night with," Ginny answered.

"He what?" Ron practically shouted, looking shocked and partly confused.

"I thought you had figured it out. Oh wait, that's right you weren't there when the subject came up; well, George never went up to his room last night and then this morning, you actually saw that part, he walked into the pub wearing the same clothes he was wearing yesterday. That's what I was asking him when we left this morning," Ginny said, looking George's way as he turned down a darkened alley.

"What did he say?" Harry asked, shifting from one foot to the other as they all stood on the sidewalk.

"He didn't really say much about it, but I do know that she was that waitress that we saw last night," Ginny replied, pulling her coat even tighter around herself as a particularly strong gust of wind came up.

Hermione nodded in understanding. "It does makes sense since he couldn't keep his eyes off of her last night."

"I wonder what her name is?" Ron wondered aloud, curious.

"I have no idea, I forgot to ask him."

They all agreed that they should ask George when they saw him again, and then an awkward silence fell when Hermione and Ron wanted go off by themselves. Since, neither of them knew how to leave without be rude or making Harry or Ginny feel abandoned, Ginny just decided to tell them to go.

"You know, if you two want to be alone we can part ways here."

Hermione sighed in relief but then turned to Harry with a worried expression on her face. "Harry is that okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be? It's fine, I don't need to be entertained," Harry said back, sharing a quick glance with Ginny. They could easily find their own entertainment.

"Excellent! Come on Hermione," Ron exclaimed taking Hermione's hand and beginning to lead her in the opposite direction.

"Oh for heaven's sakes Ron, you can be so insensitive." They heard Hermione say.

"They said it was fine, so it's fine. What do you want to do?"

"Ron, you're hopeless."

Ron and Hermione's voices faded as they went walked farther and farther away from Harry and Ginny. Harry turned his head to look at Ginny as she did the same; they both burst out laughing when they did so.

"Some things never change do they?" Harry noted after he calmed his laughter down.

Ginny nodded in agreement and added, "and I doubt they ever will."

A silence again fell, this time a comfortable one as the two lovers began to walk, not really noticing where they were going. This gave Ginny time to reflect; it wasn't about George or even about Ron and Hermione, this time it was about her and Harry. _"Some things do change," _Ginny realized in her head as she snuck a glance at Harry. Their so-called "romance" had been going on for a long time, over a year. It had been born out of some sort of necessity, after all who else was there to be with in that way, both as a friend and otherwise. But it wasn't just because he was the one that was there, her only option--so to speak--, there was one big difference, and it was the fact that she was in love with him. She vividly remembered telling him that the word "love" was not to be involved in their relationship, and now she was wondering if she had made a mistake. Should "love" be involved?

There was always the worry in the back of her mind though, and it centered around the war, and the fact that he was the one to decide its fate. Could she face it? The knowledge that when Harry and Voldemort would inevitably meet and do battle once again, Harry might come out on the bottom.

"You're awfully quiet. What are you thinking about" Harry whispered, resorting back to his childhood habit of looking down at his shoes when he was anxious.

Ginny pondered on what to say and finally she answered honestly. "Everything."

"That's a heavy load."

"Don't I know it," Ginny muttered, annoyingly blinking back unwanted tears.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked awkwardly, softly as they continued to walk down the sidewalk, passing little shops and businesses.

She wondered if it was the right place or the right time to bring up what she was thinking, and Ginny decided against. Instead she brought up something that had been pricking at the back of her mind since breakfast.

"It's Mad-Eye, I think he knows about Ron and Hermione or, possibly, about _us_."

Harry halted and turned to her. "You're talking about this morning."

Ginny nodded.

"He's smart, I don't doubt it; if anyone was going to figure something out it would be Moody," Harry pointed out.

"Do you think he knows about us?"

"It's possible, or he may know about Ron and Hermione. Of course, anyone who knew them from the age of 14 to 18 would have been able to figure out they fancied each other. I doubt it would come as a big shock to anyone."

Ginny thought for just a second on what Harry had just said. "That's true, I doubt anyone would be surprised. If it does come out about my brother and Hermione though, my Mum will freak. But that isn't the point, Moody looked… surprised, especially when you winked at me."

"He has no incentive to tell about either us or Ron and Hermione, if he does know," Harry deduced.

"That doesn't mean he won't," Ginny added, noticing that, for the first time, it was growing ever colder. "Maybe we ought to start heading back?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, good idea."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

If there was only one thing he could hate about muggles, only one thing, it would be their silly whimpering. _Please, don't hurt me; I'll do anything!_ Pathetic, the whole damn muggle population had no backbone, what so ever.

"Do you happen to have any whisky in this God-forsaken flat?" he asked his hostage, who was tied with invisible bonds to one of her own dining room chairs.

She meekly nodded and with her head, (since she was also gagged), she gestured to the nearest kitchen cabinet.

"What a silly question, an imploring little slut such as yourself, would, of course, have a few bottles on hand," the Death Eater said, going to the aforementioned mentioned cabinet to retrieve the liquor.

He took a drink and promptly, with one horrified look, spit it out, spraying the linoleum floor and a small bit of the woman's legs. "What is this, poison?" the man exclaimed turning the bottle around to look at the label.

"Why am I not surprised? Cheap women buy cheap booze, of course!"

Then, rather suddenly, there were several knocks at the front door. He quietly told the woman to keep her mouth shut and went to the window to look out at the visitor. A look of triumph past over his face like a wave, but then quickly turned to one of anger when the woman began to struggle. She swayed back and forth in her chair, rocking it on its legs until breaking point, and then with a crash she tipped over and fell to the floor, still tied to the chair.

"Elizabeth! Are you alright?" another man's voice (having heard the crash) called from beyond the door. "Elizabeth! Open the door, are you in there?" The doorknob rattled as the man tried to open the door. When no word came from the inside, the man outside the door took extreme measures. "_Alhormora_," the man whispered; the lock clicked open and then the door opened, revealing the brown haired man on the other side. George was about to fall into a dangerous trap.

"Elizabeth?" George called again, stepping into the living room. His eyes widened in shock when he saw her, still struggling and tied to chair on the floor. But before he could react Seamus stepped out from his hiding place and drew his wand.

"We meet again Weasley. Surprised to see me? After all, I am supposed to be dead."

"What the--" George began, going to redraw his wand, but could never get to it.

"Stupefy!" the Death Eater hissed, a jet of red light omitting from the end of his wand.

George crumbled to the floor in a heap.

"Well," Seamus began, sweeping a few locks of sandy brown hair away from his forehead, "I am disappointed; I didn't even get a good fight out of you, you worthless slime."

He turned to Elizabeth, who was squealing through her gag in fright, shock, and utter confusion. He walked up to her and righted her and the chair with a wave of his wand.

"That should teach you to whore your self away to worthless pieces of wizardry," he hissed, gesturing to the unmoving George.

Then, if it was possible, she became even more afraid and shocked as she looked upon George. Finnegan turned away from his hostage and looked at his new captive. George's disguised looks had faded away to his real features, revealing to Elizabeth his real red hair and freckles.

"Yes amusing isn't it? I suppose that this will _really _teach you not to bring strangers into your bed. Look where it's taken you, tied up and being held hostage, and there isn't just this, love, there is more to come. My comrades should be here soon, as well as my master, and believe me girl they are not as civilized as I am. They don't hold purity of blood quiet as close as I do, so, they will have no limit in how much they dirty themselves with you," Finnegan told her, in a half taunting manner with a gleam in his eye as he looked down upon with a hungry expression; he was beginning to seem quiet unhinged.

* * *

_Three hours later…_

"Where could George be?" Ginny asked worriedly as she checked the muggle watch on her wrist.

They, (Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny), were up in the girls' room playing a few games of Chess before dinner. Ron, as to be expected was beating all of them spectacularly and was now playing Harry, after just beating Hermione.

"Well… maybe he's spending the night over at her house?" Hermione said uncertainly, looking worried as well. She was sitting on the floor, Indian style, leaning against Ron's shoulder and looking sleepy.

Ginny shook her head. "I doubt that, simply because he doesn't want to make Mum suspicious."

"She already is suspicious and wondering where he is. If George doesn't show up soon she is going to send out a search party… us," Ron answered, checkmating Harry.

"Playing against you in this dratted game is absolutely useless; you always win," Harry sighed, moving off to the side as Ginny took her place across the board, preparing to play against her brother.

"Dratted game? I don't think so," Ron admonished, looking completely serious even though it sounded like he was joking.

"That's because you always win every single game."

Harry and Hermione immediately agreed with Ginny on this subject with enthusiastic nods of their heads.

Then, they promptly began to argue fervently over the point of playing chess. They asked Ron if he ever got sick of winning all the time and he answered honestly with a firm _no_. As they argued and Ron and Ginny played the game, they began to hear funny things from outside. Mainly it sounded like faint cheering, as if it was coming from several streets away. But soon it became louder as the sounds neared them.

"What is it, some kind of parade?" Hermione wondered standing up from the floor and looking out of window that looked down on the street.

She gasped taking a step backward from the surprise of what she saw. Her heart and stomach both dropped at the sight of smoke that rose up from the next street and of the horrid and feared dark mark. The dark symbol of everything she feared floated above the whole village, casting a soft green glow on the ground and rooftops below it.

"Hermione?"

Her mouth became dry as she tried to form the words. "Death Eaters," Hermione barely croaked out, as her throat seemed to freeze up in a wild spasm, "they're here…"

"What?" the three who still sat on the floor exclaimed as they jumped up and raced to the window to confirm what Hermione had said.

The truth was laid before them like a ravaged and corpse strewn battlefield, as they peered down upon it from a high hill. What they once thought were cheers, a joyous sound, was in fact screams of pure terror. Muggles ran into the streets as they tried to find an escape but one was not presented to them.

"They are starting to turn down this way, heading right towards us," Ginny muttered in fright, pointing towards the cloaked figures.

Suddenly, the door was nearly torn of its hinges when it flew open. The four jumped and spun around, going for their wands instinctively. But, it was not a Death Eater before them but Mr. Weasley, his wand also in his hand.

"Death Eaters!" the older man gasped out, breathing quickly after just running up a flight of stairs. "Your mother, frantic--George isn't back."

The next few minutes were a blur. They ran down to the pub after Mr. Weasley and there they met the rest of their group. They talked for a minute or so as they planned their course of action. Meet the enemy or stay in the pub and wait for the Death Eaters? Also, there was the small fact that Harry wanted to go out and fight but they all said no. He was too important, what if he was captured or killed? All would be lost.

"I am going, and there is nothing any of you can do about it," he told them firmly, his chin up and his muscles tense as he prepared for the fight that was about to ensue.

Knowing that it was impossible to argue with him they all relented. Questions like this one were always brought up when they had to confront Death Eaters. Should Harry fight? Should Hermione or Ginny? Ron looked at his girlfriend and he caught her eye. Hermione knew that he wanted her to stay behind, it was clear as crystal, but from experience, Ron said nothing.

"I'm going too," Hermione said, her eyes trained on Ron, "and this time you will not try to stop me."

"You can't stop me either," Ginny agreed, her brown eyes flickering over to Harry. She noted that he looked determined and from what she could see, he was not scared, but instead he looked sure-of-himself.

It was then, that Ginny realized with a jolt that the very worries that she had had over Harry again meeting Voldemort, and subsequently dueling for their lives, was suddenly coming true. It was like a bad dream. They might all die or be captured and tortured, she decided then that death would be better than being a captive.

"Alright this is the plan," Moody, the once master auror began, "we meet those bastards and we'll hit them hard, your aim is to kill or do irreversible damage; nothing else."

They nodded in understanding. For many of them, it would be the first time in four, almost five, years that they would be in an all-out battle with Voldemort's followers. Since then, things had changed, there was no more Azkaban and no more Ministry, which meant that Death Eaters could not be captured or detained in any way. The Order of the Phoenix was now nothing more than a small group of rebels, and they could not take Death Eaters prisoner. They _would _curse to kill, no matter how much some of them (namely Hermione) didn't wish to do so.

* * *

George regained consciousness right before the battle started, and the first thing he opened his eyes to was the sneering face of the traitor, Seamus Finnegan and the whole flat filled with masked Death Eaters. He blinked at Seamus several times, confused by what he was seeing. Since he had been hit by Seamus' curse, he had obviously been lifted, and then tied to a chair. Where he was now sitting next to Elizabeth. 

"Nice of you to finally join us Weasley, now you can finally take part in the fun," Finnegan said, sneering at him, getting right up into his face.

"Y-- you're supposed to be dead you son-of-a-bitch!" George exclaimed, his mind racing as he took in the Death Eaters and the supposed-to-be dead Death Eater before him.

George could distinctly remember being told by one of the Order's spies that Voldemort had had Finnegan killed when the he had grown angry with the Death Eater. But apparently they had been lied to; either that or the spy was fed false information.

"As you can see, Weasley, I am very much alive and, just so there isn't any confusion, it is me. I can prove it."

"Yes, I know, your breath still smells as much like Hippogriff crap as it ever did," George shot back.

Rage filled Finnegan. "_Crucio_!" he yelled, his wand pointed at George.

Screams filled the small flat but they didn't last for long. The Death Eater broke the curse and stood grinning like a maniac at his prisoner. Wishing to provoke the redhead more, he waited for George to stop his shuttering gasps of air and then said, "Tell me, Weasley, is that sister of yours still alive?"

George lifted his sagging head and stared right into the other man's eyes, anger and pure loathing in his own and said, "I swear, if you touch her--,"

"I'll take that as a yes than," he interrupted, looking pleased with himself.

Elizabeth broke the silence that ensued after that with a whimper. George, having just remembered that she was also being held prisoner, turned his head and looked at her. Anger, like none he had ever known flooded through him. It was because of him that she was being held like this, his fault and the traitor before him. Magic seemed to flow faster through him; it made his toes and fingertips tingle and spark with unexplained electricity.

"_I'm going to make them pay_," he thought, glaring at them.

Suddenly, the invisible bonds that were holding him in place, snapped with an echoing _crack. _

"_Accio wand_!" he yelled, his left hand stretched out toward his wand which was resting on the table where a careless Death Eater had put it earlier. The stick of wood flew to him obediently.

The Death Eaters' surprise bought him a few precious seconds as he dove for Elizabeth. Before his hands even reached her, her own bonds were suddenly released and she was up like she had been burned. George grabbed her around the waist and they nearly flew to the floor, moving so fast that it was like they weren't even human. There was now a wall and the kitchen between them and the Death Eaters. George, aided by the magic that seemed to almost crackle and pop in the air, was strangely serene and calm, as if he was outside of his own body and looking down at the scene of total mayhem. This allowed him to try something that wouldn't even be attempted by most Wizards in his situation. He closed his eyes as soon as they hit the floor and, with his arms tightly around Elizabeth, he apparated.

* * *

**A/N: I would like to ask a question. I recieved two reviews (an all time low) on my last chapter, and yet _over_ 21 people read it (or at least visited the page). Why? Now, I have never liked it when people demand reviews or hold a chapter hostage (example: _if I don't get five reviews, I won't update_), but please, if anyone is reading this, review. I appreciate each review I get and it doesn't have to be a long review, just tell me you're reading it. **

**Thankyou to my beta, _fanfictionsissy_, and to my reviewers. :) Please review!**


	16. The Battle

_A/N: Before the first chapter starts, I would like to say that I greatly appreciated all of my reviews and my reviewers on Chapter 15. You all spured me to write this chapter faster than the norm and also write a longer one as well. Thanks! _

* * *

**Chapter 16: The Battle **

Curses flew and buildings tumbled as stray spells missed their marks and went off instead in different directions. Muggles ran this way and that, trying to get out of the way of oncoming Death Eaters who killed all in their path; but there was a fare few that stood and faced the Wizards in gray robes. Some, surprisingly, were even muggles with guns, determined to protect their homes and country from what they believed to be a terrorist group. Others were also there, firing away at the Death Eaters with the strange colored lights.

"Get down!" one of the others screamed, suddenly, as a structure exploded, flinging brick and wood over the defenders.

Glowing globes of light erupted everywhere and, instead of the bricks striking several in the head, they bounced off of the globes.

The besiegers were of a large number, much larger than the small group of defenders and they seemed to hit the defenders like a giant sledgehammer being wielded upon them. On both sides, people fell and as the defenders continued to be pushed backwards by the besiegers, they tripped over the fallen. They did not look down though, afraid to look upon the face of a comrade.

"_Passimfinitous_!" a defender screamed at a group of Death Eaters, who were advancing toward him at an alarming rate.

The pearly white light that erupted from the man's wand, raced toward the Death Eaters. Then the light suddenly exploded into a dozen fragments and hit each Death Eater strait in the chest. The robed villains were thrown up into the air, spinning like a top as they raced towards the clouds.

"Harry, look out!"

The defender who had just, literally, thrown more than a dozen Death Eaters into the air, spun around at his friend's voice. The warning came just in time as a tall, bulky Death Eater fired a jet of green light at him. Harry dove into an alleyway to avoid it and it missed by just a few inches. It, instead, hit an outer wall of a shop, which happened to be just over Harry's head. He scurried away on his knees to avoid the falling rubble.

"Hmm… still have good reflexes, aye Potter?" the Death Eater yelled over the din as he followed Harry, firing another one at him, who once again was just able to avoid it.

Harry jumped to his feet and regained his footing, almost stumbling and tripping on the bits of wall and rock under his feet. "_Amitto rocks!"_ he yelled, finally gaining an upper hand on the Death Eater, (whose voice he recognized as old member of Slytherin Quidditch team). The bricks and rocks on the ground flew towards the Death Eater, but few hit their mark as he put up a shield around himself.

Harry threw curse after curse at who he believed to be Edward Mulciber, a Chaser turned Death Eater, and finally the barrage of hexes and curses broke through his shield with a powerful cutting curse. Mulciber fell, dead or almost there.

Wincing at the deep gash in his right leg that he had received when he had crawled away from Mulciber's curses, Harry realized for the first time that the battle had moved away from him. He ran out of the alley and once again out into the open street. The Death Eaters had pushed the Order farther down the street, almost to the point where they were running out of road and then would have to turn down the next one.

What they needed was some kind of backup, like reinforcements, but Harry knew that that was impossible. The Order was seriously outnumbered, and it was so bad that it was more like a suicide mission than anything else.

His throat nearly closed up and his heart clenched when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a red-haired corpse on the ground. All thoughts of battle left his mind in a flash as he ran towards the lifeless body. A clear picture in his mind of the unknown body; Harry's worst dreams were now coming true. Somehow he knew it would be Ginny's bloody and lifeless face he would see when he turned turn her over. He reached the body and kneeled next to him/her, the gash in his leg, pulsing in protest as he did so. He turned the body over, and instead of a face he recognized and held close to his heart, it was one that had shards of a Death Eater's mask still covering part of the man's features.

"_Oh, Merlin…"_

Harry sighed in relief and thanked the fates. He didn't kneel there for more than a few seconds since the battle was still raging at full-force behind him. He turned around and ran back toward the battle, but slowed to a tiptoe as he approached the Death Eaters. Harry had a sudden, and most intelligent idea. Trying not to be noticed by the enemy he began to curse the Death Eaters that were in the back of the line (the ones in the front were dueling with the members of the Order). He did it silently, whispering mainly cutting curses as they began to chant _"the Dark Lord"_ at the top of their lungs. Sadly, he was noticed only after he was able to curse a dozen or so Death Eaters.

"What the Hell!" a masked Death Eater called out in surprise, turning around as his partner beside him suddenly fell to the ground; his hands over his throat as blood began to gush out.

Harry ducked and quickly rolled out of the way as a jet of red light suddenly went whizzing past him.

"Holy shit! It's Potter!" one Death Eater yelled pointing at Harry, who once again jumped to the side as another curse was thrown at him.

This got the attention of several more Death Eaters as many of them stopped their chanting. Harry's once glorious plan having now failed, he was suddenly in hot water. Doing some quick thinking as curses began to bombard him, he threw up several shield charms around himself. He pointed his wand at the shop where the Death Eaters were closest to and yelled:

"_Reducto!_"

The building's front facing wall exploded in a shower of brick and large stones, burying a fair number of Death Eaters under the rubble; crushed under the unbelievable weight. Harry now ran with all of his might away from surprised Death Eaters at the front of the formation as several of their comrades in the back were crushed. He once again dodged curses and had almost made it into the nearest alley, when a Death Eater's curse caught him in the arm. He heard his own bone crack and splinter as the two bones of his forearm, (the radius and the ulna), suddenly burst. The shards of bone imbedded themselves into the muscles and few poked out of his skin.

The unimaginable pain made Harry trip and stumble as he lost his stride and flew to the ground. He was now half-in and half-out of the alley, which led to the other street. He somehow dragged himself completely into the alley, where he now had some cover. Harry looked down at his arm and nearly fainted. It was already black and blue from internal bleeding and, not only that, but he could see several lumps in his arm where the bones had dislodged.

He breathed in and out a few times, trying to keep his head in this crisis, and muttered a few quick healing charms to stop the bleeding, both inside and out. He also applied a numbing charm to relieve the pain. The curse had done its job. He was now nearly immobile and the loss of blood had already made him feel lightheaded and groggy. Also, his glasses in the fray had been lost and now his vision was blurry.

"Nice job; who used the bone splintering curse?" a Death Eater asked as a group of them came to stop in front of him.

"It was I, sir," another answered.

"Excellent, the Dark Lord will be most pleased. Pick him up, we'll take him to headquarters."

Two of the Death Eaters grasped him roughly at the arms and hoisted him up so that he was in a standing position.

"Stupefy!" four or five voices suddenly yelled at the Death Eaters, taking them by surprise. Jets of red light erupted from the shadows and hit several of the Death Eaters in the chest, sending them falling to the ground.

"What the…"

But the Death Eater never got to finish his sentence as he was struck in the head by a cutting curse. Curses flew back and forth and, in the scuffle, Harry was dropped, unceremoniously, onto the ground. Soon the group of Death Eaters, (which had numbered around seven or eight), were either all unconscious or moaning on the ground in pain.

"Harry?" a timid, female, voice asked as a surprisingly cool hand cupped his cheek.

Still disoriented, Harry didn't recognize the voice and tried to swat the hand away.

"Oh Hell… His arm!" a male's voice suddenly exclaimed to Harry's right.

"It appears he was hit with a bone splintering charm. We have to get him out of here."

"Where?"

"I don't know, but anywhere but here. There will be more Death Eaters and, not only that; they knew that we were here. There _will_ be more of them, they were too small of a number," another woman whispered.

"Right, Ginny, you and Hermione take him several streets away to a secure shop or flat. Do what ever you can with his arm and make sure to give him some blood-replenishing potion."

"But Arthur… what about Aberforth, Emmiline, and Mr. Hassan? And what about Tonks, we have to get her somewhere too."

"Molly, you're right. Ms. Gibbers you follow Ginny and Hermione with Tonks, but there is nothing we can do for the others… they're gone."

"Yes, Mr. Weasley," Andrea whispered, sniffling slightly.

Suddenly, the ground seemed to rumble underneath them. Then, it happened again.

"What is that?"

One of them peaked out the alley and into the street. The person gasped and was so surprised that she checked again just to make sure. "I… I don't believe it! They have giants with them! Two!"

"Oh dear Merlin… Two giants," McGonagall sighed in what could only be called despair.

"We have to get out of this town. There is no way we can win this."

"What about the muggles?"

"Once we leave, hopefully the Death Eaters will as well. But first thing is first, Harry has to get some medical attention," Remus answered, shifting the unconscious Tonks in his arms.

"George is still missing! We can't go without him!" Mrs. Weasley said in alarm, looking horrified and scared for her son.

"We won't leave without him, I promise," Remus promised, but it, even to his own ears, sounded empty.

* * *

George and Elizabeth landed with a hard thump on the wet and muddy grass. With his arms still around the cringing Elizabeth, he groaned, not just from the various bruises he now had from landing so hard, but also because of the searing pain in both of his hands. Elizabeth detangled herself from George and stood up, trembling as she looked down at him. 

The fancy bit of apparation had worked, but sadly, had not been done perfectly; George managed to only splinch three of his fingers. He had lost his middle fingers up to the knuckle, and on his right hand he no longer had a pinkie.

"Oh shit!" he exclaimed, looking at his hands, realizing that he would probably never be able to reattach his real fingers.

"Wha…" Elizabeth began to say, but stopped, not sure what to do with herself. So, she sat down on the grass and brought her knees up to chest, not noticing the wetness or the mud.

George whispered a few basic healing charms and a spell to relieve some of the pain. But it didn't solve the fact that he now only had seven fingers; it also didn't make his mind register that he was now three fingers less. He wiggled his remaining fingers, and looked down, some how shocked when the fingers that were not there, did nothing.

"Err…" George said, looking up at Elizabeth, unsure of what to say to her and how to explain.

Elizabeth stared at him and his wand, looking from the stick of wood to his face, coming to a realization. Now determined, she stood up and towered over him, her hands on her hips, and her eyes blazing at him. She gave him a swift kick and then another and was just about to give him another when he struggled to his feet, attempting to stop the assault.

"Wait, wait, I can explain!" he shouted, ducking as her fist went swinging. But he failed to duck again as she threw another punch, which landed, hard, on his right cheek.

"Who are you!" she screamed, her arms and legs flying as she tried to cause him pain.

"I swear, I didn't know those bastards were here!" he tried again, attempting to catch her, but failed as she jumped out of the way.

Finally he did catch her by capturing both of her arms and holding them behind her back so that her back was towards him. Finally, scared that someone would hear them, (such as the Death Eaters), he gently covered her mouth so that she made less noise.

"Please, listen to me. I am _not _a bad guy, okay? Yes, I lied to you about who I really am, but I would never hurt you," he said as she stopped struggling and leaned against him, both physically and emotionally exhausted. "I know that the truth is going to be impossible to understand, but I have to tell you so that you will trust me. I am a Wizard and I can do magic. But I use it for good, never for bad… well maybe when I was younger but that is a different story. Those people back there are bad Wizards and they kill for the fun of it."

"The group that came in with me, fight against the bad Wizards, called Death Eaters. The Wizarding world lives in secrecy from the rest of the human kind, because muggles, that's what we call your kind, could never understand. But the Death Eaters want to take over everything, including the muggles," George finished, wondering if anything he had just said made any sense at all. "Do you understand?"

She shook her head, no.

George groaned and tried again. "The good Wizards don't want to hurt anyone. We just want to let you live your lives and for us to live our lives. I am going to remove my hand. Are you going to scream?"

Elizabeth shook her head again and he slowly pulled his hand away and loosened his grip on her arms. They didn't say anything for several seconds as her mind raced, trying to understand what he was telling her. Trying to judge if what he was telling her was the truth.

"How did you learn m… magic?" she asked slowly.

"Well… I was born with the ability to actually do it, but I learned spells at Hogwarts."

Her brow wrinkled in confusion. "What is Hogwarts?"

"It was the Wizarding school in Britain, but it isn't there anymore," he answered, sadly, as if it pained him to say the words.

Suddenly curious, Elizabeth asked, "why not?"

He squeezed his eyes shut as he remembered the night that Hogwarts fell to the Death Eaters. It was so long ago but he still remembered it as if it was yesterday. "The good Wizards just aren't fighting the Death Eaters… we're in full out war. The Death Eaters captured Hogwarts and we're losing."

She gasped at the tone of his voice, it was laced in bitterness, sadness, and what was close to despair. Elizabeth couldn't understand and would never, but she understood that whatever was going on, it was bad.

"I need to go find the rest of my group, and I need to tell them what is going on, if they don't already know. It isn't safe for you to stay here; I don't know where the Death Eaters might be and if you're with me, you'll be safer. Do you trust me?"

She honestly didn't know. She knew that he was telling her the truth when he said he was somehow magical, after all she saw George heal his own skin with a few funny sounding words. But he had lied to her; in fact he had lied to her a lot. It came to her then that his name might not even be Henry Leery.

"Is your name Henry?"

"No, it isn't Henry Leery, I made that up. My real name is George Weasley," he answered solemnly.

Elizabeth stayed silent and thought for just a minute longer. The people that he called Death Eaters we're evil and she would rather stay with him than be captured again.

"I trust you," she finally said.

"Good. Do you happen to know where we are by any chance?"

For the first time she looked around at her surroundings. "We are near the edge of town, to the east and close to the road into town. If we just go to the top of that hill over there we should be able to see Main Street."

The two of them walked up the small, grassy hill, slipping and nearly falling back down on the wet grass. Finally, they made it to the top and they looked down on the town. Elizabeth gasped and George cursed when they saw that several buildings were either on fire or no longer standing.

"How could this have happened?" she asked, looking frightened at the scene of destruction.

"The Death Eaters have begun their attack," he answered, watching as a mass of gray exchanged curses with his friends and family.

"George, look!" she yelled, pointing as several walls collapsed, falling on and killing nearly half of the Death Eaters.

"They're getting them! That was us!" George almost shouted, his fist and arm making triumphant movements in the air. "Look there it goes again," he said as, just a few minutes later, more walls and buildings collapsed on unsuspecting Death Eaters.

That last barrage of apparent "_reducto_" curses took care of the other half of the Death Eaters a few minutes later.

"George, look over there," she said again, pointing to the right.

George looked to the right and saw more Death Eaters in their trademark gray robes and, to his absolute horror, there was two large, hairy giants with them. Apparently there were more of them and they were advancing quickly toward Main Street.

"Come on, we have to get down there and warn em'," he exclaimed, holding her hand as they began to slip and slide down the other side of the hill.

* * *

As George and Elizabeth hurried down the hill to warn the rest of the Order, Hermione, Ginny, and Andrea, (levitating both the injured Harry and Tonks), tried to find a safe place to take them. The pickings were scarce though and they were having considerable trouble finding an intact building. 

"Damn it," Andrea cursed in frustration as Tonks floated above her, who moved and mumbled in her unconscious state.

"Let's try this one," Hermione suggested, coming to stop in front of a structurally sound looking building.

Then, suddenly, it began to rain. Almost immediately the water and the rubble and the dust turned into a slippery sludge.

"What else can go wrong?" Ginny groaned, looking up at the ominous gray clouds.

"Let's just get inside before we get soaked through to the bone."

They did, and made sure the shop was Death Eater free before setting Tonks and Harry down on a long counter. The shop was small and seemed to sell mostly cute little knickknacks for the tourists that came through the small town. Stairs in the back room behind the counter led up to a small flat.

"Maybe staying here like this isn't a good idea," Hermione noted, pointing at the large display window. "Anybody can see in."

They all agreed and levitated Harry and Tonks up the stairs, where they found a small living room, a kitchen, and one small bedroom. Whoever lived there had apparently left in a hurry when the Death Eaters first attacked, since the dinner dishes and some of the dinner was still on the table.

Ginny and Hermione went to work on Harry and Tonks immediately, while Andrea went back down to the shop to keep watch. Tonks had received an unknown curse and they both couldn't keep her awake. As soon as they revived her she would immediately fall right back into unconscious. But since she was stable and her breathing was regular they left her to sleep (hoping that she could pull out of it herself) and quickly went on to Harry. His condition was far more serious.

During the earlier days of the war, the Order and members of the Ministry often encountered victims of the bone-splintering curse. Generally, the effects of the curse are lethal since it hit's the chest, shattering the ribs and puncturing the lungs and other organs. Thankfully, it hit Harry's arm and not his back or chest, which meant it was treatable. Still, it was hard to treat. The bone itself was still there, just in pieces. Meaning that they could not re-grow his bones as they had done in his second year. Instead, they would either have to remove the fragments of bone and then grow the bones back, or repair the bones. Both options were difficult and painful. They opted to repair his bones.

First they forced a dose of blood-replenishing potion down his throat. It instantly improved his color, but he stayed unconscious due to intervention by Ginny and Hermione because it was better for him to stay asleep as they worked.

A potion had been developed to easily set compound fractures, (a compound fracture is when the broken bone tears through the skin), which was slightly similar to Harry's shattered bones. So, that potion could be used to help Harry, but it would have to be doctored to be more powerful and longer lasting. They had doctored it and had forced it to Harry, when Andrea stuck her head in the open door.

"Death Eaters!" she hissed quietly, her wand in hand.

Ginny and Hermione shared a look and hurried to the window to look down at the street. There was in fact a line of marching Death Eaters going right passed their hiding place.

"What do we do?" Ginny whispered, backing away from the window so that she would not be seen.

"Keep quiet and stay down, and hopefully they won't come in here," Hermione answered.

"Shit, they are," Andrea whispered as she kept a look out in the hall, which looked out over the shop.

Hermione could vaguely hear the door being opened and voices below them.

"I'll check down here, and you can check up above. Remember to look hard for any filthy muggles, just like Finnegan said."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock when she heard the name Finnegan. Her old classmate was supposed to be dead; it just didn't make any sense.

"That bastard thinks his own shit doesn't stink, half-blood slime. He doesn't even deserve to be breathing."

"You're just jealous, Zabini, because he is thought so highly of by the Master."

"You're the one kissing Finnegan's arse, a smooch on each cheek--right Brunson?"

Blaise Zabini goaded the other Death Eater.

"You--hey what was that?"

Hermione winced as the floor creaked under them as she shifted from one foot to the other. They had been discovered.

"I think there's someone up there! Let's go say hello," Zabini prompted as they began to climb the stairs toward their hiding place.

Andrea moved from the door way and crouched down behind a hall stand where the coats normally hanged, to give an element of surprise, while Hermione and Ginny moved from the window to behind the sofa.

"Anyone home?" the Death Eater Brunson asked in a singsong voice as they made their appearance in the doorway.

Then, at the same time, (from their respective hiding places), the three women hissed the same curse, _stupefy_. The three red streaks raced towards the Death Eaters; two of them hit their marks, hitting Brunson, but Ginny's missed Zabini and instead hit the wall directly next to him. Zabini immediately went on the offensive and fired several curses at the three. One of Zabini's curses hit the sofa, causing it to split in two, and another hit the floor near Andrea, (who scurried away). The third hit one of the kitchen cabinets, which then exploded, producing long shards of wood. Ginny cried out in pain as one of the sharp shards pierced her leg, entering it nearly three inches.

It didn't last long though, (with it being three against one), and Zabini ended up on the floor, unconscious. They tied up the Death Eater, with the hope they could question him later, and sat him up against one of the walls. That small battle had been won but there was still another one raging outside.

* * *

Unknown to the members of the Order, help was just about to arrive. Almost five miles away from the small British town of Thornford, there was a medium sized cavern, where a group of Wizard and Witches lived in secrecy. They patrolled the surrounding areas and had caught sight of the battle in Thornford. The scouts hurried back to their cavern and alerted the others. Quickly they set out, ready to help the defenders there; they arrived just as the second half of the battle was starting. If it wasn't for them, our group would have been defeated, and the War permanently lost to the Death Eaters. 

There were losses. The last surviving Dumbledore, Aberforth Dumbledore, was killed, Emmiline Vance also lost her life, and Jabir Hassan was also killed. There were also several injuries, including Harry's and Tonks'.

The muggle deaths that day were colossal; nearly three-quarters of the population of the town of Thornford were murdered. Elizabeth Evans was one of the survivors, but it came at a price. Her family was one of the first murdered that day at the hands of the Death Eaters. Elizabeth couldn't register it, yes, she had cried over her fallen family, but the people who did this had no face to her. She couldn't understand a war that she had never even heard of.

As night fell, muggle troops and other officials arrived to keep order in what they believed to be a sight of a terrorist attack. Elizabeth did not stay but did the only thing she could think of possibly doing, she went with George to the cavern five miles away. No one asked any questions concerning her presence there and no one approached her, except for George. When alone, George and Elizabeth talked, and he said the only thing _he_ could think of to say-- "sorry".

"_I'm sorry_," _George whispered, wondering what to say or what to do. What do you say to someone who has just lost everything? Do you give your condolences in a formal manner, or do you just let them cry, giving a comforting shoulder?_

_Elizabeth didn't do anything but nod her head, not feeling like talking. George, not sure what to do about the lack of response, tried again. _

"_I'm sorry you ever met me…"_

_She turned to him, slowly, her green eyes shiny with unshed tears. "Don't be," she whispered, "this isn't your fault."_

_His joking manner, which had severely lessened with the death Fred, completely vanished as the weight of guilt pressed down upon him. "Yes it is."_

"_You've told me a lot, and I do not think you lied to me about any of it. So, I've come to the conclusion that--" she choked up, her throat seeming to close as she tried to get the words out, "…that, it would have happened one way or another."_

"_But if we hadn't stayed there, then the Death Eaters wouldn't have been there either."_

"_If those people are as evil as you say they are and the bad things that they have been doing have really been effecting the rest of us, then the attack would have happened sometime. It wouldn't be fair of me to ever blame you for anything," she answered, again turning away from him to look straight ahead. _

_George had been firmly raised with the idea that men do not cry, but he now suddenly felt like doing so. He rubbed his eyes and pushed back the impulse._

"_Wizards are supposed to live in complete secrecy, or close to it, and now you know. We have a way of making you forget everything that has happened today, and I'm supposed to make you forget. Do you want to forget?"_

_Elizabeth stayed silent, thinking. To her, forgetting would be like pretending nothing happened and it still wouldn't change the fact that her family and town were gone. She also didn't think that she wanted to forget him or the sudden, newly found knowledge of a world completely different from her own. _

"_No, I don't."_

_Her whole life had unexpectedly vanished. What was left for her now? Nothing. The only thing to do was start a new one. _

"_Let me come with you," Elizabeth blurted out. _

_George stared at her, wishing that he could say yes, but knowing that he could never put someone in danger knowingly. "I can't do that," he responded. _

"_Why not?"_

"_Because…there is nothing for you with me. Besides, you barely even know me!"_

"_We could get to know each other."_

_George shook his head. "No, you can't come, it's impossible."_

_Elizabeth said nothing more. _

_The next day George dropped her off at the nearest train station, which was heavily guarded as many people evacuated the surrounding areas. He bought her a one-way ticket with some of Hermione's muggle money, which he promised to pay back. Before Elizabeth got on the train she did something she promised herself she wouldn't do, she kissed him goodbye. After that, he got her safely on the train and as it pulled away, the two waved goodbye._

* * *

The muggles called the attack on the small British town of Thornford, one of the worst terrorist attacks in History. The few survivors tried to go on with their lives and most moved away from the area and into the large cities. The town, the damage being so extensive, was never rebuilt and instead a monument was built there so the citizens would always remember that terrible day. 

Elizabeth Evans was no different from the rest of the survivors. She moved to London and found work there with the help of an old friend. There, she followed her true passion and was somehow able to get a job with the prestigious London Times, where she worked her way up the ladder to journalist. Five years after the Thornford incident she married one of her best friends and coworker, a fellow journalist for the London Times.

Elizabeth never told her husband or anyone else of the true nature of the attacks, nor of her knowledge of the Wizarding world. She thought that she would never again hear the name Weasley or of the magical school called Hogwarts, she was wrong.

On her daughter's 11th birthday, a letter arrived, very strangely, by owl. Her divorce having just been finalized after her twelve-year marriage, Elizabeth was planning to move on with her life by moving her and her daughter to France to be a correspondent for the Times, however it never worked out that way.

Something had always been different about her daughter and now, suddenly, it all made sense. Memories came flooding back to Elizabeth, and she knew that she could not hide from her curiosity. She would, once again, become involved with the Wizarding world and with the man named Weasley.

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**A/N: I felt it necessary to create two new spells, _Passimfinitous_, is the joining of two latin words: Passim which means "in many places" and infinitum, meaning "endlessly." And _Amitto _(it's sort of like _Accio_, there is always going to be a word after it to complete a spell), which means "send away." **

**Also, to just let everyone know, the end scene on this chapter is going to be like the "start" of another story that will generally follow the Genocide's AU (alternate universe) universe. Which I will begin to post after The Genocide is complete and it will mainly follow George and Elizabeth. **

**Thanks again to my great beta fanfictionsissy! Please review! **


	17. Potions and Old Friends

_A/N: Please everyone remember to review! Your reviews inspire me to write more and faster so keep them coming ;)._

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**Chapter 17: Potions and Old Friends **_

You never know what life will hold for you next, (unless you have an illegal time turner), and all of the bends and unexpected turns in the road can definitely throw a person for a loop. For example: one minute things are quiet and peaceful, and the next you're in the midst of Hell on Earth. Hermione had before pondered the notion that there were no coincidences, that everything happened for a reason, and now she had been given a mighty push into thinking that was true.

When everything seemed hopeless against the Death Eaters, they were then rescued and the enemy beaten. Then, even more shocking, they happened to know several of their saviors--old friends, so to speak. For the first time in two years the entire Weasley family was united. Bill Weasley had been passing through the area a few days before the Order had stopped in the town of Thornford, and so he was invited to stay at the nearest cavern. He was there when the battle broke out; coincidence? Hermione didn't think so. Another surprise was the presence of Pavarti Patil, the last surviving Gryffindor female that was in the same year as Harry, (besides Hermione).

Hermione contemplated the issue of coincidences as she attempted to fall into sleep, but her thinking did nothing more than make her feel more awake. Stress was causing her insomnia… the stress of battle and then the aftermath of that. Suddenly everything had been turned around; three of their members were dead and now _the_ traitor, Seamus Finnegan, was apparently alive and in good health. He had caused them all a good bit of pain and sorrow, and, unknown to Ron or Harry, Hermione had been hurt by the traitor as well, possibly more than the others. Not even Ron knew that she had been present when Lavender Brown, (the broken girlfriend of Seamus Finnegan), had committed suicide by jumping from the Gryffindor tower. The only ones who knew that she had been there were Dumbledore and McGonagall.

It was unlike Hermione to hate anyone with the passion like she hated _him_. No one else had to try and sway a scared woman from taking her life, and in the process, the life of her unborn child; (Hermione had not known this at the time). No one else had to fail and watch, horrified, as Lavender jumped, crying out her ex-boyfriend's name as she fell. Hermione loathed him more than anyone could possibly imagine.

Anger now bubbling through her, Hermione kicked off the covers and sat up in bed.

"Hermione, is something wrong?" a sleepy sounding Ginny asked from her own bed.

Hermione, not realizing how much noise she had been making, quickly apologized, "sorry Ginny, I just can't sleep, but don't let me disturb you; go back to sleep," Hermione whispered back, slipping on her slippers and grabbing her robe.

She wrapped the garment around herself and as she did so she heard Ginny mumble something in her half-asleep state. Hermione slipped quietly out of the room and into the narrow hallway. Hermione highly disliked being in a strange place; not knowing where anything was and where to go was a big pain. She knew that Ron was a few doors down, but he was bunking with not only Harry but also George. Going to him was out of the question. She knew that the kitchen was somewhere to the right, but raiding through someone else's cupboards seemed like intruding, so that too was not a good idea. With nothing left to do, and thinking that getting out of bed had been a foolish thing to do, Hermione began to go back, but stopped when she saw a sudden light. She approached it, curious as to why it was on.

Hermione turned the corner and was met with a partially open door, she also heard two or more voices from inside. Realizing that she had almost stepped into a private conversation, Hermione stepped away, hoping that she hadn't been heard. She hadn't been heard but she didn't continue back to her room anyways, because she suddenly heard her name mentioned. Against what was probably her better judgment, she stopped and listened, wondering why they, (whoever they were), were talking about her.

"The vampires work for You-Know-Who and, as we speak, they continue to spread their power. With the recent attack on Thornford, I have begun to wonder exactly who was behind it and who is really running the show, You-Know-Who or the vampires."

"Maybe you're right, but, wouldn't that be a good thing? The vampires having control over You-Know-Who, I mean."

"Don't be silly. There have been terrible rumors, more horrific than you can possibly imagine; about how _he _hired them to create the unstoppable weapon, I am sure you have heard of it."

"You're talking about the wolf-thing, the creature that they all talk about. They say that they use the muggles as breeders. Why are we even talking about this, and what does it have to do with the Granger woman? "

"It may have everything to do with her," the man's voice suddenly quieted to just above a whisper and Hermione had to strain to hear what was being said, "…I talked to Arthur Weasley and he told me that Granger was captured by a Vampire clan in the Western Forest and that she escaped. Vampires hate escapees and, it stands to reason, that they're after her. Which would explain the attack on Thornford."

A woman's voice suddenly broke in, sounding annoyed. "Now wait just a blasted minute, I think that that attack had absolutely nothing to do with Hermione; I believe that the Death Eaters were after Harry Potter, not necessarily her."

"Pavarti, I know what I am talking about, it is more than likely that the vampires toyed with her mind; the woman could be dangerous, crazy even."

"Brian, she seemed perfectly sane to me. I have had enough of this foolishness, I'm leaving," Pavarti announced.

Hermione, realizing that she was right in Pavarti's path, quickly hid inside of a broom cupboard, foolishly closing the door to it. She heard Pavarti stomp by and tried to open the door, but realized, to her horror, that it did not open. For some unknown reason it had locked, trapping Hermione inside.

She smacked her forehead and mentally kicked herself for closing it all of the way. Now she was stuck in that cramped little closet until she was missed and someone went looking for her. Hermione didn't much feel like calling for help, after all, those two men were right across from her and she really did not want them to know that she had been listening. That would be make her more mortified than she already was. Crazy! Wouldn't she know it if she was off her rocker? Yes, alright she had nightmares about those days she had been locked up in that cell and nearly raped, but she would not term herself as crazy. It was preposterous!

"Oh. My. God. Is that what everybody thinks?" Hermione mumbled to herself, horrified at the thought that Ron pitied her and that was the only reason he had stayed with her. She didn't think she could stand it if he did.

She had had misgivings about their relationship after her lucky escape, but Ron had stomped those thoughts out right away.

"No, don't be ridiculous, he would never feel that way. Everybody else might but he would never. Lovely, now I'm talking to myself."

It was then that it came to her, the small closet didn't feel quite as small as it had before, in fact, Hermione realized with a jolt, the walls were slowly expanding, making the room wider. Soon, a stairwell appeared in front of her, leading down towards nothing but blackness. Hermione, shocked beyond all comprehension, pondered on what to do: go down the mysterious and possibly dangerous stairs or stay where she was, safe. She, obviously lacking in good judgment that night, made up her mind and began to walk down the stairs.

Surprisingly, nothing bad happened to her on the way down. She had half been expecting a magically fake step or the stairs to suddenly turn into a slide; they did neither. She soon reached the bottom and, as to be expected, she was met with nothing but darkness. Hermione, completely blind in the pitch black darkness, took her wand and whispered "_lumos,_" the narrow corridor she was in, flooded with light. It was a very unusual place; it had no visible doors or passages of any kind, just one perfectly straight looking hallway. It was beyond creepy.

Deciding that going down the unknown staircase had been a very bad idea and decision, Hermione turned to go back up the stairs. She was met with nothing but a packed dirt wall; the stairs had vanished as quickly and mysteriously as they had appeared, leaving Hermione stranded in a place she really didn't want to be in. She pushed against the wall and ran her fingers along it, trying to find a secret catch of some kind that would make the stairs reappear, not a thing happened. Accepting her fate, she realized that she would have to continue on, and hopefully figure a way out of the mess she had put herself into.

Hermione, began to walk along the hallway, hoping with everything she had that she wouldn't run into anyone, or _anything_.

She met nothing for the longest time. There were no doors or anything of the sort, just as it had been when she first started out. Then, finally she came to a door, it was to the right and it was the only one in sight. Hermione pressed her ear to it and listened intently, she heard nothing. Slowly she turned the door knob and waited for some sort of reaction that would indicate that someone was behind the door. None came so she opened it fully. She looked inside and took in a deep breath of surprise. The room seemed to shine with an unnatural light--that was the first thing she noticed. The light seemed to dance and jump around, making various things around the room sparkle like stars.

The room was relatively large in comparison to the other rooms in the cavern; it was about 16 by 16 feet, a perfect square. Around the room there were shelves full of vials and magical telescopes, and below the shelves was one long counter. And the source of the unnatural light was presented to her; smack-dab in the middle of the room was a large cauldron, full of something that bubbled and glistened.

Hermione approached it, carefully, and looked inside, what she saw took her very breath away. Shining back at her was her smiling self, but it wasn't herself as she was now, instead she was about twelve or thirteen. The image made her feel oddly surreal as if she was in a pleasant dream and just floating above the world, the horrors of war completely vanished.

The younger Hermione in the image cocked her head to the side, as if she was studying something, continuing to smile openly as she did so. The older Hermione became even more fascinated and dangerously awed with the image as she slipped into a trance like state, all that was on her mind was the image before her. Hermione craved to touch the liquid light that showed the picture, it was like a drug, the more she denied her urge to touch it, the more she wanted to. Finally, she gave in and slowly she raised her arm letting her hanging hand graze the liquid. Immediately the picture changed, going from surreal to frightening; the young Hermione was replaced with the current Hermione who was sobbing uncontrollably over a dead body, Ron's dead body.

She was horrified, and rightly so, and yet, she could not remove her hand--it wouldn't let her. She began to cry as she leaned over the cauldron; her tears seemed to almost feed the image as it changed, becoming even more horrific, going from her sobbing over a dead Ron to her in Death Eater robes. It was unthinkable, Hermione Granger a Death Eater, but that is what she saw. The image was even more clear, like glass, as she watched herself raise her wand and, soundlessly, cursed a faceless person with long red hair. The Hermione in the image was not herself, that much was clear as the image suddenly zoomed in so that Hermione's brown eyes could be seen clearly. Her brown eyes had all but disappeared, they were now glazed over and unseeing, only the Imperious curse could do that.

"Hermione, no!" someone behind her suddenly yelled as she was tugged, forcefully, away from the cauldron.

The spell that had caused her to enter into the trance was broken and her head seemed to clear. She was shaken up though from the images she had seen, she was also trembling uncontrollably.

"Hermione are you alright?" her old dorm mate asked her, as Pavarti looked at Hermione with a deeply worried expression.

Hermione only nodded as she tried to regain her bearings. Her analytical mind went into over drive as she began to wonder what the unnatural light was, and more importantly, why it had caused to see things such as those.

"What _was_ that?" Hermione asked, her head turned to the shining cauldron.

Pavarti sighed. "It was Brian's idea… he's--well--it's hard to explain."

"Explain it anyways."

"What it really is, is just a complex potion, a very complex one," Pavarti began uncertainly, "it shows the past and then the possible future. It was Brian's idea, he said that it would help us with the war, by showing him the future, but the potion didn't turn out like he expected it to. It will draw your mind so far into what you are seeing, that you can't escape from it. He says it could have damaging effects if you stare at it too long."

Hermione was confused for a moment before she realized that Brian was the man who thought she was mad.

"I see," Hermione answered.

"How did you get down here?" the other woman asked, looking curious.

Hermione blushed. "Pavarti, I apologize, I eavesdropped on the conversation that you were having with that Brian person and the other man. You we're coming out and I hid in the small closet, and the next thing I knew there were these steps and being absolutely mindless, I went down them."

Pavarti had a look of surprise on her face as she stared at Hermione. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, really I am. Brian, he gets silly sometimes and doesn't know what he is saying."

Hermione would have liked to have argued with her but decided against it since Pavarti was obviously not mad at her for being where she wasn't supposed to be. She told Pavarti that it was fine and after that she was led back out and back up the stairs. It was early morning by that time and Hermione was beginning to feel quite tired, so she went back to her room. Almost instantly she was asleep, with the promise to herself that she would tell her friends of their hosts' secrets.

* * *

"What!" 

"Ron, for the love of Zeus, keep you're voice down! I don't want anyone else to hear us," Hermione admonished later that morning, as Harry, Ginny, and Ron huddled around her small, temporary bedroom. She, of course, was telling about the last night's events.

"A potion that shows the future?" Harry asked, uncertainly, looking at her intently.

Hermione nodded, "That's what Pavarti said, but she told me that it showed the _possible_ future, not the definite one."

"I still can't believe you went--," Ron paused as he tried to find the word he wanted to use, "…investigating, with out me! You could have been hurt."

"Ron, I can take care of myself."

"But…" Ron began, but stopped when Ginny held up her hands.

"Now, before you get into it and start yelling at each other, can we please finish? I can't believe you two still do this after all these years," Ginny said.

After Hermione had completely finished telling them about what had transpired that night and early that morning, (leaving out what she had seen in the cauldron since she didn't particularly feel like divulging that piece of information), they all sat silently for a moment.

"I don't like the sound of this Brian fellow," Ron muttered looking angry and annoyed, "believing you're mad. What a load of bull."

"I agree, this whole potion business sounds fishy to me," Harry put in, looking thoughtful.

Hermione, glad that Ron thought she wasn't crazy, agreed with them readily. She turned toward Ginny and waited for her thoughts. Ginny was sitting on her bed, which was directly across from Hermione's, saying nothing, obviously deep in thought.

"Did anyone else get the impression that Pavarti and Brian had a _thing_?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"I thought that might be possible, but I don't see why it is important," Hermione answered, wondering why Ginny had asked that.

"I didn't think that," Harry responded. Ron said the same.

"Well… actually, I guess it had little to do with the potion and what Pavarti said about it, but I just wanted to add to the _Brian is an arse _thing."

"Why would being romantically involved with Pavarti make him an arse?"

Ginny didn't say anything for several seconds as she pondered. "Well, mostly because he keeps trying to get me to sleep with him. He keeps cornering me, and two days of that is tiring."

Hermione would later think that what had happened next was usual. For one thing, Ron didn't react straight away, but instead sat there in shock, his mouth hanging open. While, on the other hand, Harry reared back, as if he had just been punched in the gut.

"He's doing what!" Harry exploded, green eyes blazing.

"Don't freak out! I didn't say yes," Ginny told him, looking affronted by his reaction.

Harry jumped to his feet, and much to everyone's shock, (except for Harry's), there was a loud sound as both of the lenses in his glasses cracked down the middle. Accidental magic rarely happened to older wizards, since they had outlets for their magical energy; Harry, it seemed, was the exception. He stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Ginny looked just as shocked as the rest of them as she stared at the closed door with her mouth open. Her expression quickly changed to one of anger though, and she too jumped to her feet and ran towards the door, wrenched the it open, and ran out of the room. Screaming at Harry.

Ron and Hermione could hear her yells of outrage all the way down the hall. Many of them were along the lines of: _what the hell are you doing _and _don't do anything stupid!_

"What was _that_ all about?" Ron asked, completely and totally bewildered.

Hermione, she had to admit, felt the exact same way.

"I have no idea."

They both shared a quick look as there was a sudden scream of "don't you dare" and then a crack. They got to their feet and poked their heads around the door; they saw Ginny standing alone with her hands balled into fists, mumbling obscenities at no one.

She turned to them, furious. "He apparated!" she yelled, gesturing at a spot behind her.

"What is all the hubbub about?" George asked, sleepily, as he too poked his head around his own door.

"He apparated!" Ginny yelled as an explanation, too mad to give a coherent answer.

George stared at her at for a minute, thinking she had few screws loose. "_Right…_"

* * *

Hours passed and Harry still didn't come back. They were all rather worried about him, but since it was useless to go look for him, since they had no idea where he could be, they stayed put. There were several important things to do, so they were able to occupy themselves with planning when to leave (again) for Leominster (Neville was still waiting for them there). 

Hermione was unable to concentrate though, and often began to fall into day dreams, (thinking of the potion and what it could do), at odd moments during the day. She was curious about the strange potion and what it could possibly hold for them. The concept was fascinating and she wished that she could find out how she could use it to their advantage; it was clear that this Brian had invented this potion since Hermione had never read about such a thing, and it seemed that he had mussed it up. She longed to fix it.

When it reached lunchtime, she cornered the now worried Ginny. Hermione had a plan, and it required someone's assistance. Since she highly doubted Ron wouldn't be too keen on her plan, she decided to enlist Ginny too help her. Ginny wasn't all that happy to help, and only agreed after Hermione talked her into it.

They both went to the exact same broom cupboard that Hermione had hid in, they squeezed into it, and closed the door; it was extremely dark in there and the two felt like canned sardines in the tight space. They waited, but the stairs did not appear, the clock was ticking as their time began to run out.

"Maybe there is a password, or something?" Ginny offered as Hermione felt along the walls, looking for something that would make the steps appear. She found nothing.

"That could be it…" Hermione muttered.

"Did you say anything in here?"

"A few things, but I don't know if I can remember everything," Hermione answered, hands on her hips as she thought.

"Well, can you remember the last thing you said before the stairs appeared?" Ginny asked, completely flattened against a wall.

Hermione began to reflect, trying to replay last night's events to the minute detail. "It was… something like-- "talking to myself."

"What?" Ginny asked, bewildered at Hermione's unusual response. "What do you mean?"

"I think that's the last thing I said."

"Oh. Hermione, nothing is happen-- ahhh!" Ginny yelped as the wall directly behind her began to move, sliding backward. Hermione tugged her out of the way just in time as a hole appeared in the floor.

"Come on let's go," Hermione whispered, taking a flashlight out of her bag and clicking it on, shining the light down the stairs.

Ginny took a deep breath as she peered down the stairs, frightened at the eeriness of it all. "I don't like this…"

Hermione quieted her and grabbed her hand and pulled her down the stairs. She followed the same route as before, it seemed that nothing had changed since she had been there last. Ginny was behind her and her eyes were open wide as she stayed alert, expecting, any moment, for someone to jump out of the shadows. They came to the door, and Hermione opened it, quietly, as she made sure no one was inside; she saw no one. They entered the room and closed the door behind them. As soon as they closed the door, though, a figure suddenly sprung to his feet and turned to the two women, alerted by the sound of the closing door. Hermione and Ginny yelped and drew their wands, ready for anything, but as the figure stepped out of the shadows they were relieved to see that it was not Brian, but Bill.

"Bill, what in the world are you doing down here?" Ginny asked, lowering her wand as she did so.

Hermione did the same and waited for the oldest Weasley to respond, highly curious as to why he was down there and what he was doing.

"I could ask the same," he answered, clearly surprised at their presence.

"I asked you first," Ginny hastily retorted, hands on her hips as she waited for him to answer her original question.

"Err… first off, are you in league with Tuttle?" Bill asked, seriously.

"Who in the world is Tuttle?"

"Brian Tuttle, the one who runs this cavern," he answered.

Hermione and Ginny shared a look and the first answered, "no."

"So, then you're probably not supposed to be down here."

"I would say that we would definitely not be welcome down here. Are you?" Ginny responded.

As an answer, he pulled something out that he had been hiding behind his back and showed it to them. It was a large glass jar full of the very potion that Hermione had come to get a sample of (or in other words steal, but keep in mind that Hermione would never use those particular words). Even though it was in a smaller amount and in a glass jar instead of a large cauldron, the potion still shined, glowed, and gave off the unnatural light. In turn, Hermione pulled _her_ glass jar out of the sack that she had been carrying, slung over her shoulder. Bill laughed and put his jar back into the sack he had been carrying as well.

"How did you find this place?" Bill asked them, walking around the large cauldron to stand in front of them.

Bill Weasley had changed little since he had been a curse breaker for Gringotts, his hair was still long and in fact had grown even longer. The only thing Hermione could see different about him was the lack of an earring and the appearance of lines around his eyes, signaling his increasing age.

"Um, I accidentally stumbled upon it last night. How did you find it?"

"I found out about this place the last time I went through this area, about two months ago, and when I told my boss about the potion he told me to "acquire" some, which is what I am doing now. We better get out of this place quick before we are found or missed," he explained.

"Good idea. I'll just scoop some up and then we'll be on our way," Hermione agreed, again taking the jar out of the sack as she began to walk to the cauldron, but was stopped when Ginny grabbed onto the back of her cloak.

"But Hermione, Bill has some, let's not risk it," Ginny suggested, biting her lower lip in worry.

Hermione sighed and turned toward her friend. "Ginny, Bill's sample is for his employer, and I need some to study."

"But…"

Hermione ignored her second "but" and walked to the cauldron, unscrewing the jar's lid before she looked down upon the liquid. Hermione took a deep breath, hoping that there wouldn't be a repeat of her not being able to look away from the potion, and, with the jar in hand, she quickly dipped the jar into the potion. She couldn't help herself and she looked at it, again seeing an image; she felt the tendrils of want begin to curl in her mind. She was able to pull herself away but not before catching a glimpse of something very familiar, it was the image of the amulet (a pendent against evil) that Ron had given her in their seventh year, just before Hogwarts had been taken. Then it quickly changed just before Hermione pulled away, it was the picture of a gigantic lake, surrounded by dark trees, and what shocked Hermione was that there was a figure near the lake's edge, it looked suspiciously like Seamus Finnegan.

The three left after that, Hermione greatly puzzled over the second image; it, like the first, had also been familiar but Hermione could not place it and did not know why it had been familiar. When they got back up to the main level, they found that, thankfully, Harry had returned. He was sullen and did not explain why he left, nor where he went, instead he went to his room, and did not leave his room until the group left to continue on their way to Leominster the next morning. Bill also went along, planning on going with them to Leominster and then heading off on his own to his next assignment.

Hermione said goodbye to Pavarti, but kept the potion to herself, keeping it a secret. She didn't even tell Ron, at least not yet. The potion stayed hidden in the bottom of one of her bags and she planned to keep it there until they reached Leominster, there she could study it and run a few tests. Somehow she was able to get over her excitement and didn't take the potion out until they reached Neville's.

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**A/N: Thank you to all of my great reviewers and to my beta, _fanfictionsissy_!**


	18. Heart Break

**A/N: I was saddened that after chapter 17 that I only recieved one review, so please, everyone review.**

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****Chapter 18: Heart Break**

Neville Longbottom was sitting, quite cozily in his favorite armchair as he read one of his favorite books, a lovely little novel by a new author, his name being, _something _Smith. The fire was lighted in the gas fireplace and it gave off a cheery glow as it rained heavily outside; his daughter was playing at his feet, looking intently at her set of dolls. The picture of this small family was the very definition of contentment and happiness, or so it seemed, but on closer inspection, the lines of worry could be seen on Neville's face as he tried to concentrate on his reading. It was impossible though and his mind kept straying to more pressing and troubling matters. Suddenly there was a sudden knock at his door; the sound made Neville jump as it startled him. He took out his old and battered wand, the one he had had since the age of sixteen, and slowly got to his feet, leaving his daughter near the armchair. Neville approached the front door and he carefully looked out the small window beside it. What he saw made him gasp. Suddenly, what appeared to be a crowd had congregated at his doorstep, the lot of them looked tired, worn, and their clothes were dirty and mussed.

Neville realized then that they were not Death Eaters but several old acquaintances and friends. He had begun to worry about them, after all the letter from Mr. Weasley had said that they would be there a lot earlier than they now were, two weeks or so. Not wanting them to be left standing out in the open longer than necessary, he quickly opened the door and was greeted with their sweaty and relieved faces. Then, Neville realized that their number was three less than what it ought to have been, apparently they had run into trouble along the way, and at this, Neville's heart fell.

"You finally made it! Quickly come in," he exclaimed, moving aside so that his guests could enter.

They all entered; indeed they were worn looking as if they had just been trampled over by a herd of hungry Chimaeras.

"Neville, I'm sorry we are so late, but I'm afraid we ran into a spot of trouble along the way," Mr. Weasley apologized, looking around for a place to sit; he chose a bench next to the front door, and sunk down onto it.

Neville was curious as to why they were so late, but realized that it could wait because they were all so tired and looked as if they could all use a shower.

"Let's not talk right now, first you can all rest up some. I have three bathrooms in the house and thankfully more than one water heater, so you can take three showers at once."

"Thanks Neville that would be great," Hermione sighed, swaying slightly from hunger.

"While three of you take showers, the rest can come into the kitchen and I'll fix something to eat," Neville suggested.

They all agreed and decided that it should be ladies first so Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Andrea were told where the bathrooms were and Neville quickly began to fix a large lunch. He ushered the rest to sit down at the large kitchen island. Hermione, Harry, Ron, George, Mr. Weasley, Tonks, Remus, Mad-Eye, and McGonagall all gratefully sat down.

Neville's daughter Alice, sat in her own little chair that had been pulled up to the dining room table and watched the newly arrived strangers, while Neville started to take sandwich making materials out of the pantry and refrigerator. He threw together several thick ham sandwiches and poured glasses of milk, he set these before them and immediately they began to eat. They looked to be in heaven as they ate, their eyes blazing as their hunger and thirst were taken care of.

"Thanks Neville, that was really great," Harry said enthusiastically, leaning back in his stool and closing his eyes after he had finished.

They all chorused their thanks after Harry.

"So, what happened?" Neville asked, who couldn't hold his curiosity any longer.

Mr. Weasley looked at Harry and nodded at him when Harry turned his head toward the older man. Harry, taking this as a signal that he was going to be the one to tell their host what had happened, began.

"Death Eaters, in a town called Thornford, it's small, or at least it was," Harry added, remembering that it had been completely flattened in the attack, "they attacked; we hadn't even been there for a day when they arrived. We barely escaped, but we did lose three people: Aberforth Dumbledore, Emmiline Vance, and another man, Jabir Hassan, he had been traveling with us," Harry finished, taking another drink of his ice-cold milk.

"How did you escape?"

Here, Hermione answered, "as it turned out there was a cavern, about five miles from Thornford, they arrived just in time and then we were able to escape."

Neville nodded and looked up as he heard noises on the stairs. Ginny appeared, her clothes clean after a cleaning spell, and looking mildly refreshed.

"Hello Neville," she greeted, giving him a hug, nobody saw the sour expression on Harry's face. "So what do you have to eat, I'm starving!"

"Hi Ginny, I made some ham sandwiches, take a seat."

Ginny took the last available seat and eyed her sandwich Neville placed in front of her with a hungry expression.

"Professor, you can go next," Hermione offered to McGonagall.

"Thank you Ms. Granger," McGonagall said.

"Yeah, go ahead, I can wait," Tonks added, her black hair looking dull with dirt.

So McGonagall thanked Neville and headed up the stairs to the next available bathroom. When she disappeared up the stairs, Harry continued, a pained look on his face.

"Neville, there's something else, something we didn't expect."

Ron turned his head toward his best friend and waited for him to find the words. Ron knew how hard it was, especially for Neville who had been tortured worse than the rest of them the night that they had found out that Seamus had been a traitor. Ron believed that that was one of the reasons why Neville had decided to live as a muggle and not join them underground.

"What?" Neville asked, turning away from the pantry. He had been looking for the bag of crisps that he knew was there, his favorite flavor, spaghetti and meatballs.

"Uh, well… you see-- Neville do you remember, just before you left, we got word that Voldemort had Seamus killed?"

Neville was shocked and he had to admit to himself more than a little angry, personally he tried not to think about the man that he had once called a friend. He did remember that _he_ had been killed, how could he forget?

"Sure I remember. Why are you asking?"

Harry didn't know how to say it, didn't know how to make the words come from his brain to his mouth. It seemed easy to say _he's alive_, but as it turned out it wasn't. He took a deep breath, and decided that if he was ever going to tell Neville he wasn't going to be able to sugar coat it.

"He's alive."

"What?" Neville asked sharply, and then, as Andrea opened the door from the down stairs bathroom, he whipped his head around, half expecting Seamus to be the one opening the door.

She gave a weak little smile in awkwardness at his expression and took a seat next to everyone else.

"What happened?" Neville asked, shaken at Harry's words, as he sat another sandwich down on the counter for Andrea.

"We believe that he led and probably planned the attack on Thornford, and we don't know why he's actually alive."  
Neville didn't know why he asked what he asked next. "Did you see him?"

Harry looked at him, puzzled.

"No, I saw him," George answered, "nobody else did."

The conversation continued, Harry and the rest telling Neville all they knew. Mrs. Weasley came back from her shower and soon even the men in the group were showered and their clothes had been cleaned extensively. Neville showed them to all of his spare bedrooms. There were quite a few of them since Neville's house had once been an inn less than 10 years ago, so there were plenty of rooms for everyone at two to a room.

After they were all in their rooms, Neville took Alice and put her down for her nap. Then he went around making sure that the doors and windows were locked; he felt nervous, uneasy. He sat down in his living room in his favorite armchair, with his wand by his side.

* * *

Hermione was bent over a steaming cauldron. Harry wasn't paying much attention though but instead he was thinking, staring out of the attic window blankly. They had been at Neville's for just over 24 hours and almost immediately Hermione had begun to work on the potion she had "borrowed." Thankfully, Neville had allowed them to work on extracting the potions secrets in his attic, without asking any questions. So far Hermione had found out little, but had made the observation that it changed colors with the position and phases of the moon and the apparent movements of the stars. So, she named it the _sidereal potion. _After they separated the separate ingredients from the potion (as one did to make antidotes for poisons) they could then find out more.

Hermione was waving her wand enthusiastically over the cauldron, muttering Scarpin's Revelaspell as she did so. Soon she was decanting the separate ingredients into little vials. There were a lot of them and even though Harry wasn't paying any attention to what was going on, Ron was and began to help her, labeling the vials as she told him the name of the ingredient.

The only reason he and Ron were there was because Hermione had told them that she had stolen some of the potion she had discovered. Ron had been angry but had gotten over it fairly quickly, Harry had only been indifferent. After Ginny's revelation that Brian Tuttle had been trying to seduce her and had not told Harry about it, he had grown angry. Part of his anger was centered around the cooped up feeling that he was getting more and more trapped; it reminded him of when he was a child at the Dursley's and had to sleep in a cupboard. He hated hiding, he wanted to face Voldemort and get it over with, and he was sick and tired of living underground, having to sneak about like a rodent. He took his frustrations out on Ginny.

Suddenly, Harry came out of his daze as Hermione let out joyful exclamation of, "done." Apparently she had finished extracting the ingredients, now mildly interested Harry walked over to stand beside his best friends.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked, staring down at the strange remaining substance in the bottom of the cauldron. It was very strange, Harry had never seen anything like it, it quivered like jelly and moved like a thick sea. It glowed a bright yellow, and just looking at it Harry felt a tug at his mind, making him feel entranced with it.

"Yes, I have removed every ingredient that I can, this glowing substance refuses to separate from the cauldron," Hermione answered, peering down at the glow with interest.

"What do you think it is?" Harry asked quietly, all of his recent problems with Ginny having flown out of his mind.

Hermione didn't answer right away but closed her eyes, obviously deep in thought. "It is undoubtedly the source of the unnatural light that it emits. There is one ingredient that I did not expect in the potion which is essence of mortlake which, when combined with mandrake root is very unstable and may at the slightest movement explode. It is never used in potions together for that reason. What is so interesting is that the plant mortlake is only grown at the equator, where it will get the most sunlight. It is possible that this substance is sunlight," she finished.

"Sunlight?"

"The sun does have many interesting properties and sometimes potions are put under its rays to strengthen it, but this time is had been used as an ingredient."

"That's… interesting," Ron said uncertainly.

Hermione closed her eyes again and then opened them with a determined look in her eyes. "Ron can you grab me a spoon and the jar with the remaining potion please."

He did as she said, looking at her in confusion, as he picked up the jar and a clean testing spoon from the table against one of the walls. She took them from him wordlessly and before they could tell her no and or ask her what she was doing, she dipped the spoon into the potion and scooped some up; she put it into her mouth and swallowed.

"Are you crazy?" Ron yelled, yanking the jar and spoon from her hands.

Harry looked at her, horrified. What had she just done? That would probably kill her, what was she thinking? Hermione stayed silent for a moment but then let out, to their great surprise, a great, loud burp.

"Hmm… its sweet," she murmured.

Ron stared at her, unblinkingly, he was flabbergasted.

"Uh, Hermione, how do you feel?" Harry asked, his hand on her arm, afraid she was suddenly going to fall to the floor.

"Fine, can someone grab me a pencil and paper?" she asked taking a seat on an old dining room chair.

Harry grabbed her the things she wanted and pushed them into her hands, and Hermione took them and immediately began to write. Ron looked at her, worried; she seemed to be fine but that didn't mean that she wasn't going suddenly drop dead.

Harry looked over her shoulder to see what she was writing and to his surprise she seemed to be making a long list, of what, he wasn't sure.

_1. A dark cell, fast, blurry_

_2. Faceless people, bending over an unconscious person, fast, even blurrier _

_3. Me & R., slow, clear_

_4. Neville & a faceless person (man), wands drawn, fast, clear_

_5. Large lake, a tunnel, fast, very blurry_

_6. A statue (unknown), a body, fast, clear_

_7. Previous body twitches, statue opens, fast, clear_

_8. Large room, circular, middle of the room a stone (maybe granite) table, impressions in the table (runes, ancient languages) & indentations, slow, clear _

That was it and Hermione stopped writing as her pencil stilled over the paper; her hand began to shake… something was happening.

"Ron?" Harry asked, worriedly, staring at Hermione.

Then she pitched forward as if she had been pushed from the back, Harry wasn't even touching her. Ron grabbed her, his eyes panicked as his heart rate increased. What was happening? Was she in pain?

"I'm fine…" Hermione gasped, "it was just so real, I reacted to something that wasn't even happening to me. It's gone now, I'm not seeing anything any more," she explained, her face glistened with sweat and her black, short sleeved shirt was soaked with it, as if she had just ran a marathon.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked her, his hands on either side of her head, staring at her, wondering if she was going to suddenly go into seizures.

"I'm sure," she answered, "Ron, how about some water?"

He nodded and jogged down the stairs towards the kitchen, leaving Harry and Hermione alone.

"Hermione what happened?" Harry asked.

"I'll tell you when Ron comes back up."

Ron soon reappeared with a tall glass of cool water and handed it to her; she swallowed it without a breath and felt her thirst go away. Knowing that they were expecting her to tell them what she had seen, she soon began the tale.

"It was like before, when I looked down into the potion, but also different. The things that I saw were much more numerous and faster and generally a lot blurrier. I had trouble making out details, the color of someone's shirt for example, and many of the people were faceless.

The first thing I saw was, I think the cell I was held at, and then after that I don't know. It was a large group of people, bending over someone who was either asleep, dead, or simply unconscious. The third was Ron and I, just sitting, and the fourth was Neville and a faceless person, I think it was a man, facing each other with their wands drawn. The fifth was large lake and a tunnel; I've seen the lake before, the second time I looked down into the potion. Then there was a large statue and body lying before it, the body twitches and then the statue opens, and then the last thing I saw was a large, circular room with a large stone table," Hermione finished.

Harry and Ron looked at her, taking in what she had just said, it all sounded so surreal in an odd kind of way. Hermione was actually seeing the future, or at least a possible future, the very idea made Harry's head spin.

"So you've seen that large lake before?" Ron asked, looking curious at the coincidence.

"Yes, the second time, when I got the potion," Hermione answered, gesturing towards the jar of left over potion. "But when I saw it this time it was far more blurry and I couldn't make out the specific details like I could the first time."

"What area do you think the lake is in?" Harry asked.

She stayed silent for a moment, thinking. "The lake is very large, far larger than the Hogwarts' lake, there is a forest surrounding it, a very dark, thick forest, and I think there were mountains in the distance."

They sat for a few minutes longer, trying to think of an area in England or in Europe that would fit that description. There were several large lakes in Europe but few in England, there was the _Lough Neagh _Lake in Northern Ireland, the largest lake in the British Isles, and then there was _Loch Lomond _in Scotland, but that didn't really fit. The large lakes in the rest of Europe were _Lake Balaton _in Hungary, _Lake Vänern_ the third largest lake in Europe, and _Lake Ladoga_, the largest lake in Europe, located in Russia. None of the lakes the three of them could come up with fit Hermione's "visions." Stumped, the three cleaned up their mess and left the attic so that suspicions wouldn't arise from their absence from the rest of the group. They ate the quick lunch they prepared, (the rest of the Order either being asleep upstairs or out in town), and left the house.

While Harry, Ron, and Hermione studied the potion, Ginny was out shopping with her mother. While she shopped it was impossible for Ginny to enjoy herself, even when there were shops to visit and places to go she was still distracted and it all had to do with Harry. He was being a real pain, getting angry for no reason like he had, and now not even talking to her. She didn't know what was wrong with him, really she didn't; it just didn't make sense to Ginny that he would act the way he had to Tuttle making advances; she hadn't said yes and, in fact, she hadn't even entertained the idea.

Since what Ginny had begun to term the "Tuttle incident" Harry had been sullen and moody and as mentioned before, refused to speak to Ginny, which made for even more trouble. Ginny wasn't going to stand for Harry's behavior and so, as plainly as possible, told him that until he got over what was ever going on with him she considered that what ever they had had _over_. He didn't take that well and practically flew off the handle, so Ginny hexed him.

As Ginny looked through racks of clothes at one of the shops she continued to go over and over in her mind the situation with Harry. She wished he would come to his senses, she missed him more than she thought possible. Ginny felt a presence behind her and turned around, seeing Hermione behind her with a smile on her face.

"What are you so happy about?" Ginny asked her, turning back around to look at the price on a dress she liked, she gulped and put it back, it was way out of her price range.

"I've made considerable progress on the _you-know-what_," of course Hermione was referring to the potion, but not wanting anyone else to find out about it, she hid its identity.

Ginny perked up and turned back around, excited and at the same time disappointed, Hermione had invited her to work on the potion with her but because of Harry and their constant rowing Ginny had said no.

"Really?"

Hermione nodded and whispered, "come on let's go to the loo and I'll tell you about it…" Hermione trailed off looking for the restroom.

Ginny, already knowing where it was, led her to it. The loo was just a single stall restroom so they had plenty of privacy, Hermione muttered a silencing charm though just incase.

"So, what did you find out?" Ginny asked.

"Well, I discovered that the potion can be taken orally and has similar characteristics when one looks down into it, but--," Hermione was caught off though by Ginny's gasp.

"You drank it!" Ginny yelped, looking shocked at her friend's stupidity.

"Yes, Ginny I did, but as you can see I am not dead and it has not had any poisonous effects on me. So, there is nothing to worry about."

Ginny sputtered, she felt like shaking her friend, really she did. She began to protest again but was stopped by Hermione.

"You can scold me after I tell you everything."

Hermione told her all, including everything she had just recently seen. She took special care to tell Ginny (in detail) of what she had seen, after all it was their _possible _future and any ideas that Ginny could give were more than welcome.

"That body, in front of the statue sounds really spooky. Was it dead or alive, or…" Ginny asked, her anger now gone, and replaced with curiosity and awe.

"Well, it moved, twitched actually, so I'm really not sure. It could have been alive or maybe it was dead, possibly an Inferi?" Hermione wondered aloud, replaying the imaged in her mind, looking for any more clues.

Ginny glanced at her watch and realized that if she didn't leave soon her mum was going become suspicious and, not only that, someone was bound to want to use the loo at some point.

"Hermione, we can continue this later, we've been in here awhile and I don't want my mum to start wondering where I went."

"Alright. Have you seen Bill by any chance?" Hermione asked, just remembering that he would want to know about the recent developments. (Bill had worked on the potion with them after he had arrived at Neville's house.)

"No, not since we left Neville's this morning, but I would try a pub or maybe find George, he would know where Bill would be, or maybe they're together," Ginny responded and moved to leave but was suddenly stopped be Hermione's hand closing around her upper arm.

Ginny knew it was coming, she had known that she had been suspicious of her and Harry since the "incident." Actually, she was surprised that the relationship had been kept a secret for so long.

"Ginny… how long have--," Hermione paused and then continued a renewed look of curiosity on her face, "you and Harry been involved?"

Involved? Why was it any of her business? Ginny's anger flared, the stress of constantly rowing with Harry flowed out of her like a tidal wave as her anger suddenly faded and her shoulders drooped. Ginny felt trapped. The walls seemed to be closing in a round her. How do you explain to your best friend that you were in love with a man who couldn't possibly love you back? Because Harry didn't love her, she hadn't let him to since she was the one, the stupid one that had suggested that they just shag, no strings attached. Why? Because a voice said inside of her head, _you were afraid_. Yes, she had been afraid, afraid of dieing and loving him when it would just hurt her.

For the first time, in a long time, Ginny cried. She didn't want to cry; she had learned long ago, just after her first year at Hogwarts and the mess with the diary, that crying was useless, weakness was not an option. It all came crashing down around her. She wished the last year had gone differently with Harry, it could have too. The great weight on her shoulders got heavier and heavier.

"Ginny?" Hermione asked, her hand touching Ginny's arm in worry for her best friend.

Ginny turned around, tears shining on her cheeks, and sagged against Hermione. She let the red head cry on her shoulder, patting her back in a comforting way as she did so. If she had known Ginny was going to take it so badly, she wouldn't have asked.

"I'm in love with him!" Ginny wailed, acting if the world was about to end or a great catastrophe had just occurred.

Hermione was dreadfully confused but decided that the loo was not a good place to do this and so unlocked the door and apparated with Ginny. Hermione landed on her feet in Neville's house in the bedroom she shared with Ginny. She sat the other girl down on her bed and sat down next to her, she put her arm around her and let her head fall against her shoulder. What had happened, what was going on?

After about five minutes of steady sobbing, Ginny quieted, but stayed silent for several more moments.

"You must think I'm a big ninny," Ginny muttered, her eyes red and puffy.

"Of course I don't," Hermione cooed.

Without any prompting from Hermione, Ginny began to tell the story. About how there was now one else and how she got closer to Harry, friendship wise. Then how she had been distraught after finding out about Fred's disappearance and apparent death, and then going to Harry's room that night, seeking the comfort he could give. She told Hermione all about their conversation that they had two days later, where she said she didn't love or anything close to it involved.

Hermione didn't say a word but listened to her patiently, amazed that things had been the way they were between Harry and Ginny. She had never expected them to have such a relationship.

Ginny finally finished, her story done with.

"When did you realize you were in love with him?" Hermione asked.

Ginny gave a big sigh and answered, "I don't know, it kind of crept up on me, but I guess a couple of months ago."

"Have you told him?"

"No, I'm afraid he'll freak out like he did after I told him Tuttle was trying to seduce me. Which is another thing, he's being a real arse about the whole thing, it's beginning to wear on my nerves," Ginny groaned, sitting up straight and wiping her eyes.

"Maybe you ought to tell him Ginny, maybe he loves you in return. And if he does, perhaps that is why he did freak out. Because you didn't tell him about Tuttle in the first place, I bet that is what was bugging him," Hermione suggested.

Suddenly Ginny gasped. Hermione looked up and to her horror, there stood her own boyfriend. Ron looked shocked and angry all at the same time, which Hermione realized made him look like a clown. He was red in the face as he stood in the doorway. Hermione looked around him at the hallway and was thankful that Harry didn't seem to be with him, yet.

"Hey, Ron did you find it?" Harry called from some where down the hall, apparently he had not heard what she and Ginny had been talking about.

"No," Ron barked back gruffly.

"What's the matter with you?" Harry called again.

"Nothing," Ron answered, his voice softening just a bit.

Finally Ginny said something, "Ron, please don't say anything to him!" Ginny whispered frantically, jumping up from the bed and stopping to stand in front of him.

Ron looked at her incredulously, as if he couldn't believe what she was saying.

"Please Ron," she begged again.

Ron closed his eyes in defeat. "Fine, but we're talking about this later," he whispered back harshly.

And then he left, with one last perturbed look at Hermione and Ginny.

"Oh. My. God," Ginny sighed, sinking against the door and sliding down it to sit on the carpeted floor, "I can't believe that just happened."

"Me either…"

* * *

**A/N: I have an announcement and a request, so please, go visit my profile! I updated it just yesterday so what you will see there is brand new. Please everyone go there! Thank you! **

**Thank you to my great beta fanfictionsissy!**

**A short preview of Chapter 19: His Worst Fear**

"_Harry?" she murmured, his name was uttered so quietly that he could barely hear it. _

_He continued to feign sleep, now even more curious than he had been before. _

_Ginny, thinking that he was asleep, took out her wand and Harry heard her mutter a few spells, undoubtedly silencing charms. _

"_I wish I could tell you this when you were awake, but I just can't… I can't get myself to do it, and I know should. Some Gryffindor I am. I wish it was this easy to tell you this when you can actually hear me, I'm too scared Harry._


	19. His Worst Fear

**Chapter 19: His Worst Fear**

As Hermione once said, Harry had a "saving people" problem. While this may or may not be true, Harry did have a problem when it came to blame. Things that were not his fault, he shouldered and beat himself over it, to the point where it affected his life and the way he lived it. When Voldemort came back it started first with Cedric and then with Sirius. During the early days of the second war _The_ _Daily Prophet _reported and listed those who died at the hand of Voldemort or his Death Eaters, and each one felt like a blow in the chest. They were stab wounds, like open sores; he felt each one, and he blamed himself. It lessened as he grew older and entered adulthood, but it never truly went away.

So many had died, and even more would die before Voldemort was defeated. The people he loved the most, his friends, the Weasleys, and _Ginny_ were constantly in danger and his presence just heightened the danger. He had thought of leaving the company of the Order and his friends, and setting out on his own, then meeting Voldemort. Something always held him back though, and it was almost always Ginny. She never actually knew that he often thought of leaving, so she had never talked him out of going, instead it was the thought of leaving her behind that held him back. But, at the same time, it was her that drove him to leave; Harry didn't think he could bear it if something happened to her. He regularly had nightmares that involved her death and torture, some of the things he dreamt were so horrific that he would wake up in a cold sweat, shaking so badly that it would take hours for him to calm down.

And now, with Neville joining them with his daughter, more people were being put into danger. This spurred him to make the final decision, he was leaving and he was going to tell no one. His worst fear was staying. He decided to leave the day before they were scheduled to leave on the train to Warwick, which meant that he only had a short time to plan. He would leave that night; he would slip out quietly and the next morning they would find him missing, but he would already be long gone.

Harry was just so sick of hiding. Dumbledore's plan that he had concocted just before his death, was no longer working. Yes, going under ground and into hiding had been a good plan, but only when the war was going so badly that their defeat was in sight. To Harry, an under ground life wasn't worth living, so what was the point of saving the world? Harry knew that he could defeat Voldemort, he felt it in his bones, but if he didn't kill him now, then he would make the world not worth saving.

It was midnight according to the clock on the nightstand; time to go. As silently as possible, Harry got out of bed, already fully dressed, and grabbed the bag he was taking with him. The bag contained only the essentials: money and a change of clothes He took his wand from the nightstand, then, from a drawer, he took out something that, in the dark, looked like several strips of leather. He belted the strips of leather around his slim waist and somehow tucked his wand into them; it was a holster for his wand. He tiptoed to the door, quietly opened it and stepped out into the short hallway, leaving the snoring Ron behind. He was at the front door, ready to leave, when he heard footsteps on the stairs behind him; cursing his misfortune, Harry quickly contemplated what move to make next, meet whoever was on the stairs or hide? He chose hide, and so he quickly stepped back into his room and shut the bedroom door, listening intently for any sound. Whoever it was, was now coming toward the very bedroom he was hiding at. He shoved his bag under his bed and clambered in the bed and just had enough time to cover himself with the covers when the door opened.

Harry's mind raced, who was it, and what were they doing there? The door closed again and Harry wondered if they had left. But then he heard shuffling and he realized that it was coming toward him. He tried to even his breathing, hoping that who ever it was, wouldn't discover that he was really awake. Whoever it was, was now directly in front of him, he felt the bed dip, and then a hand against his forehead, brushing a lock of black, unruly hair away. It came to him then. It was none other then Ginny; he could smell her faint perfume still lingering. What was she doing?

"Harry?" she murmured, his name was uttered so quietly that he could barely hear it.

He continued to feign sleep, now even more curious than he had been before.

Ginny, thinking that he was asleep, took out her wand and Harry heard her mutter a few spells, undoubtedly silencing charms.

"I wish I could tell you this when you were awake, but I just can't… I can't get myself to do it, and I know should. Some Gryffindor I am. I wish it was this easy to tell you this when you can actually hear me, I'm too scared Harry. When I was a little girl, you were my everything; I thought about you all the time, but it wasn't really _you_ I was thinking about, but the boy-who-lived. I didn't even know you. The crush I had changed though, in my second year, and I began to like you, the real you. Even when I dated other blokes, sometimes I even went all the way; I was just trying to get over you, but I couldn't and still can't," Ginny paused for a minute.

_Oh. Dear. God. I don't want to hear this. _Harry thought, his mind running around and around what she was saying.

"I wish, I'm saying that a lot aren't I, that you would have noticed me then."

_I was too busy…_ Harry's entire body urged him to say it, but he didn't, instead he continued to lay silent.

"I love you, even now," Ginny finally said, everything she had said before had been leading up to those three words.

He couldn't believe his ears. He felt… amazed, awed. He wanted to say that he felt the same, she meant far more to him than just a shag partner. Harry wasn't sure if he had ever felt that sort of love, a romantic love; he knew he had lusts and more crushes than he could count, but never the heart gripping and "if you die I'll perish" sort of thing. He was now at a dilemma: make some sort of grand gesture, or continue to lie there, like a cowardly sack of potatoes. Through it all though, he knew one thing, she would make it hard for him to leave, but at the same time he knew that he would be leaving; it was something that he had to do. So, he gathered up all of his courage and with one final leap, figuratively, he jumped into the pool of never going to be the same again. His eyes popped open, but in the dark Ginny could not see them open and staring at her intensely, all of his want, desire, and love was directed firmly at her. There was a fire in his chest, a raging inferno that wouldn't go out, until he did something about it.

"Ginny…"

She stopped talking. Yes, she had been talking throughout Harry's internal battles of what to do, but he had completely tuned her out, not intentionally of course.

He sat up in bed and he was sure that if it wasn't so dark, her face would have been have red as a tomato and even more shell-shocked. Harry seized the moment, not knowing how much the whole situation seemed like one big pile of Nora Roberts's novels, and grabbed the front Ginny's night shirt; he pulled her to him and Ginny gave a surprised squeak. Somehow their lips were like magnets as they sought each other, their lips met in one searing kiss and Harry, with Ginny lying against his chest, fell backwards back into his bed, his head against his pillow.

Harry rolled them over, so that Ginny was on the bottom and continued to kiss her fiercely. Now, not being one to like just laying there while he did all of the work, Ginny was kissing him back with equal intensity, if not more. Harry felt, if it was possible, bubbly; he was sure that if he were not snogging Ginny, he would be grinning like a fool or a clown at a carnival.

He moved down and began to kiss her neck, her breaths coming quickly as she buried her hands in his hair. As he trailed up to her ear, he finally bubbled over and whispered, "I love you too," softly. Ginny was overwhelmed with emotion and, so, did the only thing she could think of, she brought his head back up and kissed him again.

It was overwhelming, the feeling that flooded through out his gut and then seemed to settle around his heart. He never wanted to let her go, holding her and kissing her felt so good; it made him forget everything, all the wrongs of the world and the worries. He wanted to feel every inch of her skin against his, to know that nothing would ever be barred between them.

"We can't do this here…" Ginny moaned as his hands traveled up her nightshirt to caress her breasts.

Yes, that was right, they couldn't do that here, not with Ron in the room, asleep, he could wake up any second and everything would be ruined. Then, he remembered something else that made his heart plummet to the bottom of his stomach and the good feeling that he had lessen severely; he was supposed to be leaving, going away so that she would be safe. How could he do that now? He knew it would be hard but he also knew that he still had to leave, to protect her. But he couldn't think of that now, not with Ginny telling him that she loved him and the small fact that she was nearly naked and was now straddling him.

"Where can we go?" he whispered as his hands went under her bum to lift her up slightly so that he was pressed more intimately against her.

Ginny groaned and was unable to speak for several seconds as she squirmed on his lap. "Somewhere in town, the inn maybe."

Harry could vaguely remember seeing an inn close by and decided that that would be a good idea; he reluctantly took his hands off of her and she got of him to stand next to the bed.

"Alright meet me at the front door, I'll be just a minute," she whispered, giving him a kiss.

She tip-toed out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar and Harry laid there on his back for just a second, trying to collect himself before he got up He rose out of bed quietly and stood there, wondering what to do. The bag that he had had planned to leave with was still under his bed, hidden, should he take it with him? He shut his eyes tightly and made up his mind. He got down on his knees and retrieved the bag, and then got up back to his feet and slung the black bag over his shoulder.

Harry too tiptoed to the door and closed it as silently as possible, leaving a still sleeping Ron behind. He stood, in the dark, waiting for her. It was just a minute or possibly two later that he heard someone on the stairs and he could tell it was Ginny. Soon they were out the door and walking quickly toward the inn that was just a short ways down the street.

* * *

When Harry woke from his slumber early that morning, he couldn't remember why he was in a room that was foreign to him; but then soon remembered when he realized that his arm was thrown across Ginny. The entire night then came flashing back to him; each other's revelations, their frenzied snogging, and the decision to get a room at an inn. They paid for a room and nearly ran to their room in their excitement to be together. It had taken them awhile to finally go to sleep after finishing what they had started at the house. But then Harry remembered what he had been doing when Ginny snuck into his room.

"_Oh no, now what I am going to do?" _Harry wondered.

His neck was beginning to hurt in the strange position he was laying in. Harry slowly got up, removing his arm from around Ginny, and tried not to wake her up. She shifted but did not awaken. Harry sat on the bed, as naked as the minute he was born, with his head in his hands. Shaking his head to try and get the last remnants of sleep from his slightly foggy brain, he stood up and walked to the bathroom. After using the toilet he hopped into the shower and turned on the water. He stood there for a few minutes letting the hot water beat over his sore neck and back.

He once again began to mull over his dilemma. He decided that he couldn't leave that day, it was too late in the morning and he couldn't leave with out Ginny knowing about it. But now that they were no longer rowing, could he possibly keep it from her? No, he didn't think he could.

Harry finished his shower quickly and was out of the bathroom and searching for his clothes when Ginny finally woke up, having slept throughout his shower.

"Hi," she said, sleepily, sitting up and pulling the sheet up so that it covered her.

They both felt suddenly rather shy. There had been many other mornings like that, where they had woken up after a night together, but this was different, it had never openly meant anything.

"Hi," Harry said sheepishly, pulling on his boxers after a whispered cleaning charm.

They just looked at each other for a moment, not saying anything, both thinking about last night. Finally, Ginny smiled at him, her eyes sparkling, and it seemed to break the silence, even though there was no sound to it at all. He grinned back, sat back down on the bed, and crawled to her side; he took her into his arms and kissed her softly, a contrast to what last night had been. They just kissed for a long few minutes, his hands at her waist and hers in his too-long and unruly hair.

He pulled away from her and looked down at her in awe. Kissing her felt so much better than it ever had before, actually everything felt different than before. Suddenly that good, bubbly feeling increased in its intensity. He had told her that he loved her last night but this what he was feeling now was different, the heart thumping passion of last night was subdued and now all their was, was contentment.

"I love you," he whispered, saying it so softly since he was afraid if he said it louder he would somehow mess the moment up.

Her eyes were tearing up as she gazed at him and through them she smiled, then she said it back, just as softly as he had. Something exploded in side of his chest and he grinned like a fool down at her, unable to contain the extreme happiness that flowed through his veins.

It was the loud noise of a door slamming shut next-door that made Harry look over his shoulder toward their own door, where he caught sight of the bag that he had brought with him. It was a reminder of what he had been planning to do before, and it was like a punch in the gut. Ginny noticed his sudden change in expression and demeanor.

"Harry, what's the matter?" she asked him, looking over in the general direction that he too was looking in.

"Nothing," he said quickly, too quickly, as he glanced back down at her.

He leaned in to kiss her again but Ginny knew better and wiggled away from him, a frustrated look on her face. She stood up and this time it was her looking down at him. She gathered the sheet up around her so that it looked like a toga, and asked him again what was the matter.

"I'm not stupid Harry, I know something is bothering you; what is it?"

"There's nothing, I swear," he insisted, sitting up so that he didn't feel like she towered over him.

Ginny's face grew angry. "Don't lie to me. What, was last night a mistake for you or something?" she hissed, her face reddening.

"No! Last night was… was perfect!" he said hurriedly.

"Then what is it?"

Harry's mind raced around and around. What was he going to do? He took a deep breath and decided that the best thing to do was to just tell her, dragging it out by lying clearly wasn't going to work.

"When you came into my room last night… well, I was awake the entire time, you didn't wake me up or anything when you told me you loved me. I was awake because I had been planning t-to leave…"

Ginny looked at him in amazement, apparently she hadn't expected that.

"Leave? Where were going? Were going out to go out to meet someone else?" she asked, her voice cracking at the last bit.

She thought that he was going out to meet another woman; that was as far from what he was actually going as one could get.

"No, Ginny, I meant leaving, as in 'going away.'"

All he did was stare down at his hands, unable to look up at her. The room fell absolutely silent, broken only by their rhythmic breathing.

"Going away," she finally said, as if to say it would prove the horrible fact true.

"Yes, please Ginny you have to understand, I have to leave to keep you safe and to destroy Voldemort, he's been hanging over our heads long enough," he explained, standing up so that he was right in front of her.

He saw the hurt look on her face and wanted to do something to make it all better, so he reached out and placed both of hands on her bare shoulders, attempting to hold her. But she would have none of it and instead she backed away from him a few steps, as if she had been shocked by the contact.

"That is so typical. Have you even ever considered the fact that I can take care of myself? I'm not eleven-years-old anymore Harry and I'll be just as much in danger around you then away from you," she said, her voice raising a few octaves.

"Ginny…"

"And you weren't even going to tell me you were leaving! Were you going to tell ANYBODY?"

"No," Harry muttered, somehow embarrassed at her accusations.

Ginny scoffed "I… I can't talk to you right now," she said, looking at him angrily, and with that she turned around and fled into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

Harry heard the lock click into place and he knew that he could easily unlock it with a _alohomora,_ but Harry decided against it; forcing his way in would just tick her off more. With a sigh, he gathered up the rest of his clothes and put his trousers and his shirt on. Then he heard Ginny's muffled cries coming from within the bathroom and he felt his heart break in two and the pieces shatter. He decided to wait for her to get out and took a seat in the only chair in the room, determined to make her see it _his _way.

He had sat there for approximately two minutes when he felt it, the thing he hadn't felt in years, his scar seemed to tingle. After his fifth year at Hogwarts his scar had all together stopped bothering him when Voldemort realized that Harry could get into his head as well and since then he hadn't felt it stir. Harry, bewildered, traced his scar with his long index finger and rubbed it vigorously. Then, quite suddenly, it exploded with pain. He let out a scream and fell out of the chair, landing painfully on his knees. Suddenly, a vision appeared before his very eyes and it felt like he was in a dream or more likely a nightmare.

"_They what!" Harry screamed, and yet it wasn't Harry, it was coming from someone else's mouth. _

"_My Lord, please…" a gray-cloaked man pleaded, he was kneeling on a black stone (it appeared to be marble) floor, bowing down low, his short stubby nose nearly touching the black floor._

_Harry stood and walked toward the kneeling figure, eerily noiseless as he moved, there was no tapping of feet on the floor nor the swish-swish of a cloak. He took out a long, ebony wand from the inside of his cloak and pointed it at the man, a sneer across his thin, red lips. _

"_I am most disappointed Finnegan… Narcissa, clearly far more competent than you, delivered the message to you, and you failed me greatly. Once again stinking Potter has fallen though my grasp…How should you be punished?" _

"_Please-," the Death Eater began but was cut off with a flick of Harry's wand and the man was screaming. _

_Harry lifted the curse and laughed, watching as his servant withered on the floor, searing pain still traveling through his limbs. _

"_You had Potter and you let him get away. I sent you back up of over 40 strong and the rebels still escaped!" Harry screamed, rage pouring through him in waves. _

_Again the man screamed in agony as the Cruciatus curse was hurled at him. Harry laughed and laughed some more as his wand remained trained on Finnegan; he held his wand there, not breaking the spell for what seemed to be minutes. Finally he gave one final scream of pain and passed out. Harry lifted the curse and turned away from unconscious Death Eater. _

"_Dolohov!" Harry yelled to what appeared to be no one. _

_The gray haired Death Eater stepped of the shadows and walked towards his master, bowing low as he approached him. _

"_Yes, my Lord." _

"_Has there been any word from the vampires?" Harry asked, seating himself back in his throne. _

"_My Lord, this arrived just a moment ago," Dolohov said, his eyes going to the ex-Gryffindor on the floor who had not stirred, and handed his master an envelope. _

_Harry took it from him and opened it, his eyes flickering over the page as he read. He smiled. _

"_Read it allowed, Dolohov."_

_The Death Eater took the letter from his master and cleared his throat. _

"_**To the Dark Lord, master over the great earth beings: **_

_**The A-Delta sect has concluded through several interrogations that the mortal witch that was captured had the name of Hermione Granger. We have been following the witch and she is now staying in a the mortal village of Leominster with a group of other mortals. With her is your enemy, the half-blood, Harry Potter. Upon your command we shall attack with the wolf-things. **_

_**Sincerely Yours, **_

_**Miroslav, the device leader, lead by Rhea the Mother Goddess, of the A-Delta sect." **_

_The Death Eater finished and murmurs were heard all around them, apparently there were other unseen Death Eaters surrounding them. _

"_Send a message back to the vampires, Dolohov, and tell them to attack when we arrive and--" Harry suddenly stopped and his red eyes flicked this way and that. _

_His tongue flicked out, tasting the air like a snake. _

"_Harry… Harry…" a distant voice suddenly called out. _

_Harry, the real Harry, became suddenly detached from Voldemort's mind and he felt like he was hanging around in space for just a moment. _

"_Harry it's rude to eavesdrop," Voldemort whispered, to Harry it felt like Voldemort was right behind him, whispering into his ear. _

_Then, he came crashing back to his own mind, his own body when he felt arms wrap around him tightly. Harry distantly heard Voldemort scream but it became faint and then non-existent when he entered back into reality. _

"Harry! Oh dear God Harry, please snap out of it…" he heard Ginny plead, her arms firmly around him.

Harry was shaking uncontrollably and he was sweating profusely, with waves of nausea rolling about in his stomach, but he held it down.

"Hermione," he gasped out, finding it hard to breathe, "We have to warn her. _He_ knows it was her."

Ginny nodded and quickly scurried about and gathered up her clothes and threw them on, her hand white as she clutched her wand tightly. She again took the limp Harry into her arms and apparated.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter is a huge milestone in this story, plot wise and everything like that, so I really am excited about it ;). And do you know what you can all do to further my excitement and make me write faster? Review! **

**Thank you always to my fabulous beta, fanfictionsissy!**


	20. And So It Begins

**Chapter 20: And So It Begins**

When Ron woke up that morning he thought little of why Harry wasn't in bed. In fact he passed it off as unimportant; after all, he was probably just eating his breakfast. It had been really rather hard to keep his mouth firmly shut around Harry since he had found out that his sister and best friend were "together." But some how he had managed it, and that had been two days ago; so really, Ron thought he had been doing well when it came to not killing Harry. Harry and Ron had gone back to Neville's house since Ron had forgotten his fake muggle I.D., that he would probably need since the whole of Britain was on high alert. He had been searching in his room for only a short second when he heard faint talking coming from the other room. He went to investigate and that was when he heard it; the horrifying news that his best mate, the man he thought of as his brother was really shagging, (Ron shivered in disgust at the word) his sister. Ron had saw red. When Ron had come back later that day he had had, as to be expected a heated conversation with Ginny.

_Ginny had been waiting for two hours for Ron's expected return when she heard steps on the stairs. She knew it was probably him since no one else was expected to come back so early. She met him at the door to her and Hermione's bedroom. _

"_Well this is a nice bloody surprise," Ron said coolly, his anger from two hours ago under control. _

"_Ron, you're back… You didn't say anything to Harry did you?" she asked, worriedly. _

"_No, I didn't say anything to Harry," he replied curtly, stalking over to a chair that had been placed against one of the far walls and sat down. _

"_Th- that's good, thank you for not saying anything…" Ginny murmured. _

_There was silence for a moment, an awkward silence. _

"_Where's Hermione?" he asked, not feeling like jumping into the 'what are you doing with Harry' thing. _

"_Um… she's up in the attic," she said, gesturing towards the ceiling, "she, uh, told me she was going to work on the potion, apparently she is close to some sort of break though. " _

_He didn't say anything back, even though his mind was teeming with questions. _

"_How long has it been going on?" Ron asked, deciding that for the first question, it was the right one to ask. _

_Ginny glanced at him and replied, "a little more than a year."_

_Whatever Ron was expecting to hear, that clearly wasn't it. _

"_A YEAR!_" _he yelled dramatically, jumping up from the chair as he started to pace back and forth; he had been expecting her to say a few weeks or maybe a month but not a year._

_Ginny had been hoping to stay calm, for him to stay calm and not fly off of the handle. Her hopes were now being smashed to little tiny shards as he paced angrily. She immediately went up on guard and her anger meter rose several inches to rest near "boiling."_

"_Don't you dare yell at me! I am a grown woman and you cannot control me. I can do what ever the hell I want, whenever I want to do it! Like it or not, me and Harry are none of your damn business, so you can butt out." _

_Ron turned to her. _

"_I don't care if you're together, but for heaven's sake please do not do it in front of me, I'm pissed off because you lied to me!"_

_Ginny huffed, "I never lied to you, I never told you about it, but that isn't lying."_

It had gone on from there for several more minutes before Ron asked why she had been crying before, this was the question that she had dreaded. It was difficult explaining to him, not because he couldn't understand, but because Ginny wanted to put it in a way that wouldn't look so terrible to an older brother.

Ron sighed and got out of bed, stretching when he did. He dressed and walked out to the living room where Bill was frying eggs and turning bacon.

"Make sure it's crispy," Ron said as a greeting to his oldest brother, as he took a seat at the long bar near the kitchen.

"Good morning to you too," Bill said, amusement in his voice.

"Have you seen Harry this morning?" Ron asked idly.

Bill shook his head with out turning around from the griddle, and said, "No, but Hermione is in the attic working on the you-know-what, maybe he's up there too," he suggested.

"I'll go check. When will breakfast be ready?"

"There's so many of you that I'm doing it in groups, the woman go first and then the rest of us can eat; so it'll be awhile."

Ron nodded and got up to head to the attic. He walked up the stairs and then, when he had reached the end of the hallway he climbed up the collapsible stairs that made the attic accessible. Hermione was where she normally was, sitting near the steaming cauldron and scribbling excitedly in a notebook.

She had been so engrossed with the potion that, over the last several days, they had had little time to spend together, and he was feeling the loss keenly, while she was too busy to notice.

"Hi," he greeted, pulling around a chair and straddling it so that his chest was to the back of it.

Hermione glanced up and smiled at him, "Hi to you too; did you sleep well?" she asked him, putting down her pen and pad on the table so she could talk to him properly.

"I slept good, what about you?"

She shrugged. "Not very well, I've been too excited about this," she responded, gesturing towards the cauldron behind her.

Ron nodded in understanding and then suddenly remembered why he was up there in the first place. "Have you seen Harry?"

Hermione looked at him suspiciously. "You're not going to talk to him about Ginny, are you?"

"Of course not, I was just curious since apparently he hasn't been downstairs and I wondered if he was up here."

"No, he hasn't been up here at all, maybe he went out or something," she said.

"That might be, maybe he needed to get something at a shop," he murmured, taking her hand and tracing circles on it.

Hermione didn't want to mention that Ginny had also been mysteriously missing when she had arisen from her own bed. She pushed it out of her mind and scooted her chair closer to his and leaned in to kiss him. She did and realized after they pulled apart that they hadn't even kissed for three days, a piece of her suddenly felt missing.

"I've missed this," she whispered, his hand cradling her cheek affectionately.

"Me too," he whispered back and he kissed her again, more deeply this time.

Ron's hand had gone to the buttons of her blouse when she pulled away.

"We can't do that, not in here," she said with regret evident in her voice.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"There's no reason to be sorry," she said, smiling at him, realizing just how much she had missed him.

Quite suddenly it came to her, what she had wanted to tell him since she had got out of bed that morning. It was so exciting that she had contemplated waking him up and marching them up to the attic that morning, but she had refrained, and instead had gathered more evidence to support her hypothesis.

"I want to show you something," she said, turning around to gather back up her pen and pad.

"I was laying in bed this morning when it suddenly came to me; the relationship between the oak bark and the unicorn hair; do you remember how weird it was?"

Ron nodded, remembering the conversation that they had had yesterday that he could understand little of.

"Well, I realized that the mighty oak is worshiped among centaurs because of its connectivity to the earth and then of course the unicorn being so magnificent, and it got me thinking about connectivity, and how our actions affect everything, including the earth. What if the visions of the future that one gets from looking into or drinking the potion are not random but have everything to do with each other," she finished in a rush, clearly excited.

He did not feel the same sort of excitement that she had but he was intrigued all the same. "What do you mean?" he asked, making sure he really did understand what she was saying.

Hermione sighed in exasperation and flipped to a page in her notebook. "Look at this here," she said, handing him the book and pointing to a list below her neat handwriting. "It's like the theory of cause and effect."

She pointed at the list that she had made before; it was the list of eight things she had seen in the vision after first drinking the potion. Hermione pointed at the first thing she had seen, the dark cell she had been imprisoned in when she was captured by the vampires.

"If my theory is correct then, my being captured, is the cause and the rest of the things that I saw after that in the vision, the unknown lake and Neville dueling with someone, for example, are the effects. So, my imprisonment may cause those other things that I saw. They're all directly related to each other," she finished triumphantly, clearly excited at mastering one of the big secrets of the potion.

Ron stared at the list for a moment, the wheels in his head turning. Yes, what she was saying made perfect sense; in fact he was surprised that she hadn't come up with that earlier.

"That makes sense…" he said slowly, "but is it possible that those other things you saw after the dark cell might be the possible effects and that they are not related to each other?"

"No, because of the connectivity properties of the oak bark."

Ron nodded and was about to say something else when he heard a sudden crash and then Bill's shout.

"What in the world?" Hermione said, both of them standing up and climbing down the stairs to the living room.

The others, who were still in their rooms, came out when they heard the crash and they met Ron and Hermione in the hallway.

"Is everyone alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked franticly, her pink robe wrapped around her wet frame; (she had just gotten out of the shower).

"We're all fine up here; it was probably just Tonks, you know how she is," Mr. Weasley said assumingly.

"Don't be stupid Weasley she's right there," Moody barked, pointing toward Remus' opening door.

And out came a very red Tonks and a sheepish looking Remus behind her, both only dressed in their bath robes. The others raised their eyebrows but made no comment as they walked down the rest of the stairs to the living room. They found a frantic looking Ginny bending over a pale, sweaty Harry and Bill who was handing him a glass of water. Ginny helped him drink it and he lay back down, looking uncharacteristically exhausted for that time of the morning.

"Of sweet Merlin, what happened?" Mrs. Weasley asked, rushing forward to look over Harry.

Harry took a deep breath and told them what had had happened in the vision he had seen, telling them nothing of the inn and nothing of what him and Ginny were really doing. He told them how Voldemort had been angry at Finnegan for letting them escape and how he had been punished, and he also told them what the letter from the vampires to Voldemort had said. Hermione made a funny squeaky sound when she heard that part.

"Did you see anyone else there Potter, anymore of the Death Eaters?" Moody asked, his magical eye swiveling to the back of his head, searching the perimeter of the house.

"No, just Finnegan," he spat the name out as if it was a dirty word, "and Dolohov. There were other Death Eaters in the shadows I think, surrounding Voldemort's throne; like they had all met there for a meeting."

Remus sat down heavily in one of the sofas, his face gray and downcast. Mrs. Weasley's face was white as paper and McGonagall's lips were thin in worry. Neville was still in his pajamas and looking crushed and tired, Andrea sat next to him, fully dressed.

"Now what?" Hermione asked, her mind going back to the potion, and knowing that getting captured in the first place was going to cause them so much danger.

Mr. Weasley looked at his watch. "Well, they know we are here, but apparently they will not attack until You-Know-Who arrives, so I suggest we leave as planned. The train leaves at 8 o'clock tomorrow; we do as we had originally talked about."

Remus turned to Neville, who had his head buried in his hands. "Neville."

The younger man looked up.

"We understand if you think it is best if you stay here."

He shook his head. "We'll be just as in danger here, and I have to face that Alice is going to do accidental magic in public someday, and when she does it is bound to get back to V- Voldemort," he said, stuttering over the name.

"Alright then it's settled we leave tomorrow at 8:00. For the time being we had better let Harry rest and maybe take a shower before breakfast. Bill, how is it coming?" Mr. Weasley asked his son concerning the morning meal.

"It's almost done, dad."

"Good. Harry once you've showered we'll talk more," Mr. Weasley said, standing to go back up the stairs to go get himself dressed.

After that, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione helped a still trembling Harry up the stairs. Ginny and Hermione left to go have their breakfast after some prompting from Ron, which left Ron and Harry alone together.

"Mate, you okay?" Ron asked, when Harry slumped down onto the bed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine; just a little shaken up… that hasn't happened in a while."

It was then, after the shock of Ginny apparating into the living room with Harry, that Ron realized that his sister and best mate were undoubtedly out alone together, and there was only one thing that they could have been doing. He felt like making a sarcastic comment, something like: "so you and my _sister _made up, huh," but he didn't, instead he kept his mouth shut, remembering Ginny's pleads not to tell Harry that he knew. Personally he didn't see the difference. He wasn't about to pick a fight with his best friend, especially when Harry was better at dueling than he was.

He left then, to let Harry take a shower and dress in peace. Knowing that breakfast was not yet ready; at least, not for him; he finished his packing in his own room, which was on the ground floor. Even though they were leaving the next day, he felt that he had little to do, so he did just that. He took out all of his suitcases from under the bed and started piling clothes, both dirty and clean, into them. He combed the room, making sure he hadn't left anything behind and after he shrunk his suitcases he turned to Harry's things. His mind troubled over Harry's vision, he decided he should pack Harry's things as well. He ran into a snag though, several of Harry's key possessions were missing. His wand holster, something that Harry prized since Sirius had left it to him after he had died, and several other things were also gone, most notably Harry's black muggle backpack that Harry had enlarged to carry more things. Ron looked in the dresser, in the closet, under the beds, and even under both of their mattresses, he did not find the things, no matter how hard he looked. He tried a locater charm, but that didn't work either.

Ron was called to breakfast and he left those things for later, he met Hermione at the stairs, who was going to go pack up all of her things in the attic, and told her about the missing things. She too was puzzled but she was certain that they were going to show up and she also told him to ask Harry about them. He agreed and the two parted.

* * *

Harry stepped into the shower for the second time that morning, and let the water wash away the gritty feeling he had gotten from being inside of Voldemort's head. Everything bothered him about what he had seen, Voldemort's cruelness towards his own followers, the letter, and what it had contained. Voldemort knew where they were and they were being followed and surrounded by vampires. They knew it was Hermione, and they were going to send the "wolf-things" after them. Harry knew little of the creatures, only what Mr. Weasley and the vampire who had rescued Hermione, Derek, had said. They were clearly dark, deadly, and unnatural, especially since they had been "manufactured" by the vampires.

He knew that somehow or another that the vampires used muggles and werewolves to create the creatures, how was uncertain, but Mr. Weasley thought that it had something to do with breeding. Harry shivered in horror at the thought, he didn't even think of how that might work.

Harry finished his shower, got out, and dressed. With a sigh he walked down to the kitchen and took a seat next to Ginny who was still eating a bit of her breakfast. As she nibbled on a piece of bacon, he was silent and so was everyone else. It was the sound of Mrs. Weasley putting down a plate of eggs and toast that broke the silence.

"Eat up dear," Mrs. Weasley said, kindly.

But Harry didn't feel one bit hungry, instead he felt sick to his stomach. He picked up his fork and cut one of the white sides of his fried eggs and took a bite, barely even tasting it as he chewed and then swallowed. He snuck a glance at Ginny, she was looking down very firmly at her plate, tears threatening to run down her freckled cheeks. Harry's heart ached. Had it been his screams that had brought her out of the bathroom? Was she still angry at him for needing to leave, or had she pushed that to the side?

"_Well, she won't have to worry about me leaving, I can't go anywhere now, there's not enough time," _Harry thought, searching out her hand under the table.

He found it and gave it what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. She returned the squeeze and he moved his hand away to remove it but she kept a firm hold on it, not letting it go.

Harry knew then that the end was about to begin, whether he left or not made little difference, but Voldemort was going to be destroyed, no matter what. When he was honest with himself he also knew that he had been putting it off, not knowing how to actually kill Voldemort. He was going to stop putting it off, and he was going to use all that he had to find out how to put an end to the war.

* * *

The next day they arose early and those who had not finished packing the day before finished it then. They left Neville's house and walked to the train station, all of them as gloomy as a stormy day. Neville was particularly sad as he looked back at his home, now boarded up and locked, even though he knew it would do little good against the Death Eaters. The large house was now virtually abandoned and he couldn't help but wonder if he would ever see it again.

They boarded the train, having purchased their tickets the day before, and it left the station a half-an-hour late. Hermione watched the scenery fly by with little interest in what she was actually seeing. They were on their way to the city of Warwick, the largest city or population area that they had been to in years. As Hermione watched the dairy farms of the region go by, a sentence suddenly flashed through her mind: _and so it begins._

* * *

**A/N: Well, are things picking up or what? Thank you to all of my reviewers and readers, and to my great beta _fanfictionsissy_! Now that I can reply to my reviews, feel free to ask any questions, I might not be able to answer all of the questions due to plot issues, but I will try. **

**Please everyone remember to review!**


	21. Caught and Cornered

**Chapter 21: Caught and Cornered**

Ron had never been on a real muggle train, and while one would expect him to be excited and asking stupid questions about muggles, he wasn't. He just could not get the gloomy feeling off of himself, nor the anxious one that seemed to follow him around. He was also completely bored; the train compartment he was in was cramped and the seat wasn't all that comfortable. They had been on the train for what seemed to be hours but he knew it had only been half-an-hour or so.

Ron shifted again, trying to find a more comfortable position but failed miserably. In the compartment with him were Hermione, Harry, Ginny, George, Neville and his daughter, and also Andrea; they had all been delegated to share one compartment while the older adults had the one next to them. They were all silent as a foreboding mood continued to settle upon them, oppressing all conversation that they might have. Ron was facing foreword and against the wall and sitting next to him was Hermione. She, like the rest of them, had spoken little since yesterday. There seemed little to actually talk about, except for Voldemort and Harry's recent vision, which they all did not wish to get into.

Having slept badly the previous night Hermione dosed on and off every five minutes or so, but then would jar herself back awake. In the very back of her mind, she was expecting at any moment for a vampire to jump at them, from out of nowhere. She kept a weary eye at the door to their compartment when she was not dosing off.

It wasn't far from the city of Warwick but because the train took a roundabout route to actually get there, it was taking longer than one would expect. They were about 45 minutes into their journey when Hermione had to use the loo. She was dreading using the small loo on the train; it would be cramped, and by all interaction with public loos, she figured it wouldn't smell very good. She got up, said she would be back in a few minutes, and left the compartment, her wand tucked in her pocket. Hermione passed several compartments before she got to the loo, and thankfully it wasn't occupied. After she was done and washing her hands with the anti-bacterial soap that had been provided in a metal dispenser secured to the wall, she felt a sudden jolt of the train; she gasped at the jolt and waited for another, it was as if someone had put on the brakes and then had immediately changed his mind about the brakes and went back to going full speed. She had dried her hands on a paper towel and was just about to open the door when felt it again, but this time the jolt was far more jarring and Hermione lost her balance and hit the wall with a thud. She hit her head and saw stars for a moment. She took a couple of deep breaths and was able to clear her head with a spell.

She opened the door to the loo and saw that several of the other train's passengers had their compartment door open and were talking to each other, wondering what the jolts had been. There was another jolt. This one completely knocked Hermione down on her bum. After the jolt there was no smooth going again like there had been after the first two jolts, instead the train was now putting on its brakes with alarming pressure. She could hear the screeching of the wheels on the rails as the man in charge put on the emergency brake. It was after they had come to a complete stop, when Hermione was able to get to her feet with the help of a middle-aged man with graying hair. She said thank you and nearly ran down the corridor to get back to her own compartment.

When she got there, most of them were all lingering by the compartment door or in the hall.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, clutching Ron's arm, as she huffed a bit from her run.

"We don't know yet, Dad just went to see what those jolts were. Are you okay?" Ron asked her, looking at her worriedly.

Hermione assured him that she was fine and let go of his arm, realizing that Mrs. Weasley was looking at her strangely. She blushed a bit and took a part of a step away from him so that she was not pressed against him.

Harry was near Ginny, just on the other side of Ron, and he was looking agitated.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Harry said, to them all, dead serious and looking somehow pained.

They all turned to him and Mrs. Weasley broke her gaze from Hermione and he son, to look at Harry worriedly.

"Dear, I'm sure it's fine…"

"No," Harry said firmly, "it is not fine. Why would anything that happened around _me _ever be fine?"

They all shared a look, Remus, biting his lower lip, as he normally did when something of worry was on his mind. Tonks' straight black hair seemed to lose its glisten as she watched Remus bite his lip. She knew him well enough to know how worried he really was.

"Your father should have been back by now," Mrs. Weasley whispered, looking around for him.

"Alright, Molly I'll go find him, the rest of you get off of the train," Remus said, looking determined.

"But Remus…"

"Harry's right. This is bad, how could it not be? Get off of the train any way that you can," Remus said.

He had turned around to leave to go find Mr. Weasley when Tonks suddenly grabbed his arm. Everything was falling to pieces, she had been planning to tell him that he was going to be a dad when they got to Warwick, but now she had the horrifying feeling that she was never going to see him again.

"I'll be fine," he whispered, and threw all past secrets (trying to keep their relationship away from the rest) to the wind and took her by the shoulders and kissed her.

He pulled away and hurried off, leaving Tonks close to tears; she turned around after he left to face the rest, they all looked a bit embarrassed but made no mention of the kiss.

"Come on let's get out of here."

* * *

Remus made his way down the train, becoming more and more anxious as he jogged down the corridor. Like Harry had thought, something was gravelly wrong; there was no one in this part of the train, not one single muggle was in their compartment. He hurried even more, hoping that soon he would spot a sign of Arthur; he saw none.

He came to a closed door, leading from one part of the train to the other. He shivered when he saw that there was smoke curling from between the door and the floor. Remus preformed a bubblehead charm and few other anti-fire spells before he tried to open the door. When he opened it, smoke seemed to spill out in waves, but there was no sign of fire. He looked around, his vision cutting through the thick smoke, searching for a sign of Arthur. Thankfully he was not in that part of the train, so Remus continued on. He found the source of the smoke in the next part of train, that particular part of completely ablaze, fire creeping up the walls and to the ceiling. The heat was horrible and Remus felt sweat dripping down his face.

He searched for Arthur and found him slumped down in one of the seats. Mr. Weasley was lying partly on the floor and partly on a fabric covered seat. Remus rushed over to him, thankful to see that the fire had yet to get to him, but it was getting closer, slowly burning its merry way toward him. He checked for a pulse, and he sighed with relief when he found one, it was faint, but there all the same.

Remus had just begun to lift him when he heard a sudden sound of rustling behind him; he turned quickly, wand at the ready. What he saw he had never even seen in his nightmares. It was hunched over, drool dripping to the floor, it stood at about five feet, and it looked like a cross between a wolf and a human; it reminded Remus horribly of his own transformations, as if it was in the middle of turning into a werewolf, but it hadn't quite made it all of the way.

The creature was looking at him curiously, as if it couldn't quite make out what he was. But before it could make up his mind, Remus quickly cursed it, and the creature fell over, landing in the approaching flames. He turned back and lifted Arthur up and with the older man steady in his arms; he made his way toward the ajar door. He left that room and walked through the smoke filled one and back into the smoke-free part of train; he put Arthur back down, propping him up against a wall, took off the charms he had placed on himself, and bent down to where are the other man was, looking over him carefully. Arthur thankfully didn't acquire any burns or other outward signs of injury, which made Remus believe that he had breathed in too much smoke, causing his unconsciousness. Not knowing exactly what to do, Remus cast another bubblehead charm, this time on Arthur, hoping that the purest air would help him breath.

Remus looked around, again noticing that very strangely, there was not a sign of any living soul; no muggles rushing around, no muggle officials with hoses to put out the fire. What he had been hoping against was clearly coming true, the fire and the reason why the train had stopped, were all made by Death Eaters. He again lifted Arthur and tried to find his way out, his eyes open for Death Eaters or any more of those creatures. He finally reached their own compartment, and was thankful that they had all gotten off of the train; all of the muggles too were gone. It was then that he saw a partially open outside door, where they had all exited the train; he headed for that door, but was stopped suddenly in his tracks by a laugh.

"Hello, Lupin…"

Remus turned around, Arthur still unconscious, and faced the Death Eater behind him. It was the Death Eater Avery, his gray cloak on but no mask. Remus knew Avery quite well, they had dueled several times before, once on a rescue mission to help several Order members, another rescue mission when Harry had been captured, and then when Hogwarts had been taken by Voldemort.

"Pleasure to see you again Lupin."

Remus didn't answer back, instead his mind was racing to find a way out of train with out dieing in the process.

"Are you not going to answer me, werewolf? Your manners always seemed a bit better, what would your half-blooded whore say?"

Remus's blood boiled, how could they possibly know about him and Tonks? Unless she had been captured and the Death Eaters had tortured it out of her…

"Go to Hell," Remus hissed.

It was then that the hairs on the back of Remus's neck seemed to prickle and stand up on end, there was someone else there, and he was no normal Wizard or Muggle. The Death Eater didn't seem to have any idea that there was someone else there at all, in fact he just sneered at Remus.

"Oh, so the werewolf does spea-," Avery started to say but then was cut off by a curse from the left.

Remus's wand was trained at the left part of the corridor, waiting for who ever or what ever had curses Avery. It was just a second later that a tall figure stepped out of the shadows, looking pleased with himself. Remus recognized him immediately; it was Derek, the vampire who had saved Hermione from the rest of his kind.

The two did not speak for several long moments, as they sized each other up. Remus's senses were heightened due to the fast approaching full moon and he could almost smell the hesitation around him.

"Derek… What are you doing on this train?" Remus asked, slowly lowering his wand.

The vampire looked at him with his pale green eyes. "Apparently saving you," he answered simply.

"You knew that the Death Eaters were coming, didn't you," Remus said, Arthur still unconscious and hanging from his arm.

"Yes. Now come, Potter and the rest are in trouble."

They left Avery where he was, Derek saying that there was no use in killing him; Remus doubted this but decided to trust the vampire. Derek helped him get Arthur off of the train and down onto the soggy ground and then they too got off. They had just begun to walk away when there was a sudden deafening boom. Remus whirled around and watched, shocked as the train suddenly exploded. While Remus looked shocked, Derek seemed unfazed.

* * *

The area of Britain that they were traveling through was predominantly agricultural, which meant there was a lot of dairy farms. The train tracks meandered through the rolling hills and sometimes through patches of wooded lands. Hermione was thankful of only one thing: that they weren't near any Muggles who could get caught in the crossfire. Hermione's back was pressed up against a tree trunk as she gasped for breath, looking down in horror at the sight of the dead vampire who had taken her ages to kill. Around her everyone was dueling, them against the Death Eaters and a few vampires. It was a battle that would be difficult to win, but at least it was possible, they were evenly matched against Voldemort's groupies.

Hermione could only catch her breath for a moment before she back in the fight, this time with a Death Eater who had clearly needed braces as a teenager. They threw curses back and forth, the Death Eater sneering at her with hatred in his eyes. It was not a curse from Hermione's wand that brought down that particular Death Eater but a falling tree, hit by a stray curse.

"Hello Aphrodite, have you missed me?" a sudden voice whispered behind her.

Hermione's very blood ran ice cold and her heart stopped and froze. She heard that voice in her nightmares, taunting her and then the fangs sinking into her skin. Hermione whirled around so fast that her long hair flew behind her like a banner, and she faced the vampire. He had not changed at all; his face was still thin and altogether pointy, like a rat. She only knew that the vampire's name was Adeben and that apparently he remembered her.

"I told you I would be back. Why did you run from me?" he hissed, and in the midst of the dueling going on around them, time seemed to stop as he touched her cheek with an icy hand.

Hermione's mind screamed at her to do something, to run, to fight, and to curse, but she could not move; she was numb all over, as if the blood had stopped running through her veins. Adeban smirked down at her, strangely not blinking as he did so, and licked his thin red lips.

"Don't you fucking touch her."

The voice that came from behind the vampire, snapped Hermione out of her heavy daze, and caused her to jerk back. She took a few hasty steps backward and tripped on an exposed root, falling on her rear.

The vampire quickly turned around and with a menacing growl pounced, a lot like a cat would have. Hermione saw a flash of red hair and thought it was Ron again coming to her rescue, but instead it was George, looking far angry than she had ever seen him. She scrambled to her feet, but was shaking so badly that she could not find her wand where it had apparently dropped to the ground.

George moved out of the way with surprising speed as the vampire charged at him. The vampire had a wand out but had apparently forgotten how to use it because he had not even made an attempt to curse George. George also had no wand but a short wooden stake, pointed at the end like a sharp knife. His large hands were grasping the stake tightly, his knuckles white as he gritted his teeth. George found his mark and charged at the vampire, the stake pointed at the creature's heart; the vampire had expected this though and jumped sideways, George skidded passed him and slammed into a tree with a sickening crunch. The vampire stalked toward the dazed red head and grabbed a hold of his gray shirt and dragged him backwards, George now struggling. He got a grasp of the vampire's long sleeve, and pulled with everything he had; the vampire went tumbling over him and landed on his back, just near George's feet. George was on his feet so fast that the vampire didn't have time to react before the stake was being driven into his heart. The vampire seized up, becoming rigid, and the vampire gasped and gagged, unable to take in air. The vampire died there as George rushed to Hermione's side.

While George had been fighting with the vampire Hermione had collapsed, all of the fight and energy having been drained from her, and while she lay there, on her side amongst the leaves, she watched as Neville dueled with a man. And through Hermione's foggy brain she realized that for some reason it looked familiar. She realized only later that one of her visions had come true. She was partially snapped out of her daze by the touch of George's hand on her arm, he asked her if she was all right. Hermione gave a choked yes. She felt strange, like a part of her was oddly missing…

The others were soon at her side, miraculously none of them were hurt, and asking what happened. Ron arrived, and he looked scared out of his wits. He pushed the others aside and asked, his voice showing how frightened he really was, "are you alright love?"

She just nodded and threw her arms around him, sobbing. It was then that Remus arrived with Arthur, now revived and running behind him. With them was also Derek, looking at Adeban curiously. It was also then, as Arthur went around, making sure his family and friends were all right, they realized that in the fray, one of them had gone missing. They looked around for Ginny, but never found her. They looked high and low, and preformed a locating spell, the spell had no affect.

Ginny had either gotten separated from the others in the wood, or, none of them even wanted to think it, captured. Harry became so frustrated that he punched a nearby tree, breaking his hand and causing him to scream out in pain. With more Death Eaters approaching they stopped their search and apparated away to Derek's hide out, to the coast of Southern England.

**A/N: Well, intense stuff or what? I had a blast writing this chapter (I always like doing action stuff) and I hope you all had a blast reading it too. ;) This story is coming to a close now with about 10 chapters left (or so, it might be more or it might be less) so, please let it go out with a bang, by reviewing! My stats say that 107 people visited or read the last chapter, and only 3 people reviewed (thank you to those people), so please everyone review!**

**Thanks to my beta fanfictionsissy, as always!**


	22. A Real Life Nightmare

**Chapter 22: A Real Life Nightmare**

She could not believe her own stupidity, really she couldn't. How could she have done something so stupid? Somehow she had gotten herself captured; had happened so fast that she couldn't exactly remember how it had happened. One minute she had been escaping from the train with the others, and the next… These thoughts and ones similar to them ran through Ginny's mind, as she was led toward a pair of high stone gates; she didn't want to even think what was beyond those gates. She was near a rocky cliff and beyond that the ocean; the region was altogether rocky and rough. She was held roughly by the arms by two burly Death Eaters as they marched her closer and closer to the gates.

The gates were set, as if they had been dug into the cliff, in a high wall of solid stone, and it almost reminded Ginny of a medieval castle she had seen once in a book of fairytales. They came to the tall gates and waited. Suddenly the gates began to open, making a clanking, screeching noise. The Death Eaters marched her through the gates, and they closed behind them. They let go of her and then the one on the left pushed her hard on the back, causing her to fall to her knees. She landed on the uneven black stone, her jeans ripping at the knees, and becoming red with blood as she was cut from the roughness. She shakily got to her feet and looked around, but saw nothing but darkness; then she felt something wet being dribbled onto her bare feet and she yelped.

"They're curious creatures, bred to kill and follow my every order. Do you like them?"

She knew who it was before the large room flared with light. How could that cruel, sharp-as-a-knife voice belong to anybody else? Standing close to her was Voldemort, dressed in black robes, matching his surroundings. And at her feet lay a creature, half-wolf and half something else, it was drooling all over her toes, and Ginny took a hasty step backwards; the wolf-thing growled at the movement, and sprung.

"NO!" Voldemort commanded, raising his white hand, stopping the wolf-thing in its tracks.

Ginny was horrified. She had heard the suspicions voiced by her father about what Voldemort was creating to kill them all, quickly and effectively. She had also heard the rumors surrounding how they were created. It was then that she noticed the shackles that were on the opposite wall, but close to the floor, as if to secure a person, so that they were on their hands and knees and facing the wall Ginny shivered.

"What do you want from me?" Ginny finally asked.

"Nothing, at the moment… For now you are simply my prisoner. You will go to your room, and wait. Then I have something to demonstrate to you," he said simply, as if he were talking about the weather.

She was led away from the large room by only one of the Death Eaters. The Death Eater marched her down a long hallway with doors every few feet and stairs jutting this way and that. Finally they stopped at a door and he opened the door, and threw her into the room; the door banged shut behind her, and the lock clicked.

Ginny was in pitch-black darkness again. There were no sources of light, no window, or burning candle of any kind. The blackness scared her, making her feel like she wanted to run and run fast, but had nowhere to run to. She was trapped, with no clear means of escape. She began to feel her way around the room; it was long, but very narrow, with no furniture; just the bare room. The floor, ceiling, and walls were all made out of the same black rock as the cliff; it too was rough and jagged.

Feeling about ready to cry, Ginny made her way back to the door and sat down beside it, hugging her knees to her chest. She stayed like that until a Death Eater came and retrieved her from her "room" a few hours later. And to her revulsion it was Seamus Finnegan, who didn't even look at her directly as he waved his wand to cuff her slim wrists together. Her hands were now behind her back and bonded together, so that upper body movement was near impossible. He dragged her out of the room and took her further down the hallway and then up a flight of steep stairs.

It was on the stairs that Ginny finally said something.

"So, I hear you're Voldemort's lap dog these days, how does it feel to lick the feet of the scum of the earth? I bet you get turned on by it and beg your precious _master _to-"

He backhanded her hard, causing her stumble and fall down a few steps before he stopped her with a few well-chosen words. He approached as she panted for breath and lay on her side.

"Shut the Hell up."

He hauled her up and she winced as her side throbbed with pain. They walked up the rest of the stairs, Ginny holding back tears and thinking, "_why?_" At the top of stairs there was a large arched doorway and they went through that, coming into an even bigger room with a large golden throne in the middle of it. Ginny shivered when she realized that this was the room that Harry had described to her after his vision. It was circular and around the room there was one large, continuous wooden bench around the whole perimeter of the room. On the bench sat Death Eaters.

Finnegan marched her towards the throne where Voldemort was sitting; the monster who had caused so much pain was looking pleased with himself. Finnegan let go of her and backed away.

"Imperio," she heard Finnegan mutter, before she was hit with the spell. Then she was forced to bow before Voldemort, a long sweeping bow that had her on her knees.

There was laughing in the room and Voldemort himself chuckled and sneered at her.

"Release her from the spell, Finnegan," Voldemort commanded, waving his hand in a dismissive manner.

The Death Eater released her and turned around, walking towards the back of the room to the long bench. Ginny was on her feet in a second, the very thought of bowing to Voldemort making her stomach twist; Voldemort just glared and in a lazy manner put the Cruciatus curse on her, causing her to scream and fall to the floor, twisting and withering in pain. He lifted the curse and watched, amused as she gasped for breath.

"Release them," Voldemort hissed, "she can watch the demonstration from the floor, like the filthy Mudblood lover she is."

Ginny heard a grinding sound as huge stone doors were opened, and out stumbled several women; all of their clothes were in shreds, hanging off of their shoulders, and they looked scared to death… Ginny wondered if they were about to meet their death as they were forcibly led toward the center of the room, closer and closer to where she was sitting and Voldemort's throne. The first woman, who appeared to be about 20 or so, was made to kneel down on her hands and knees and then secured to the floor with metal shackles; she was crying with out control and she looked at Ginny pleadingly, seeming to beg her for help. Ginny wanted so much to help the woman and the others as they were made to go on their hands and knees, but Ginny was just as helpless as them.

She knew, but did not want to accept what was about to happen. She was faced with it head on though when more doors creaked open and something else was let out. Ginny gasped uncontrollably as werewolves on chains were led toward the women, hungry looks in their eyes, as if they were looking upon a potential mate.

"_This can't be happening…"_ Ginny thought as she turned her head around so she didn't have to watch.

She clenched her eyes closed, and she tuned it all out, everything, even the screams. It was a nightmare, Ginny couldn't think of anything else to call it, a real life nightmare. It seemed like forever but finally the screams stopped and what was left was the sound of sobbing and chains being tugged on as the werewolves were led away. Ginny felt sick as something cold and hard touched her chin, she looked up, her eyes fleetingly moving over the bound women before they rested on a now standing Voldemort; he had a cane in his hand and he was running it along her face. A hate like none other welled up inside her. She heard a chuckle and for the first time she felt it, an odd stirring within her own mind, as if someone was shifting through her brain's contents.

She gasped and tried to shrink away from him, knowing that Voldemort was trying to get information out of her by spying on her memories and feelings. Suddenly she was once again witnessing her and Harry's first frantic kiss as they stumbled toward a bed, then the memory was she as a young girl waving to the Hogwarts Express as it hurried away. Then Harry telling her he loved her. Ginny heard a hiss as Voldemort pulled away from a memory drenched with love but then he just moved on to another. The next was of Derek as he brought Hermione back to them, the Weasleys first being told that Fred was missing, George and the muggle woman he had met, the first sight of Neville and his daughter.

"No!" Ginny screamed, the haziness suddenly fading as Harry's face came into focus again.

She was divulging information, giving it to the monster before her with out even a fight. She loved her family and Harry too much to not fight tooth and nail. There was another hiss and Voldemort completely left her mind then plunged back in, but Ginny was ready this time. Voldemort only met a wall of her strongest memories of something he could never understand, love. To Voldemort they seemed to glow a soft red and gold and it physically hurt him to try and get past these.

Voldemort became frustrated and plunged back in more forcibly, breaking through her mental wall. Ginny scrambled around frantically inside of her mind, trying to find another memory; she found it. It was of the first time her and Harry had made love. This made Voldemort practically wail. He gave up looking inside of her head but smacked her across the head with the cane instead. Ginny saw black and then _nothing_…

* * *

Ginny woke up the next day in her little cell, cold, wet, and miserable. No Death Eater had been by to retrieve her for another "demonstration," for which Ginny was thankful. She had had no food or water for over 24 hours and Ginny's stomach screamed at her for nourishment. Food had appeared in her cell, but she refused to eat, frightened that it would be laced with a truth potion, she would die before she gave any more information away about Harry or anyone else.

It was only a couple of hours after waking up that her cell door was opened and a stream of light shown through. It was another Death Eater, but not Finnegan; this one was muscular and broad with strength. He forced her to her feet and cuffed her; he then dragged her back out into the large entrance way.

The large entrance way was filled with vampires, all of them in black cloaks as they surrounded a huge bonfire. They were chanting something in another language and the Death Eaters, along with Voldemort, listened but did not join in. The Death Eater secured her to the wall through a metal ring and tied her cuffs to it. Ginny noted with puzzlement that she he did not secure her with magic but just a simple, rather loose feeling knot The Death Eater walked off to join his mates and Ginny was left hanging, her presence relatively ignored.

The vampires continued to chant, their hands raised to the sky as they preformed an intricate sort of dance, flailing this way and that as they moved. The fire began to grow as they chanted and danced and to Ginny's amazement from the flames rose a thrashing woman on a long piece of charred wood. The woman was clearly pregnant and screaming with the pains of labor as she withered.

"From the fire rises the host!" a vampire screamed in plain English.

There were cheers from the vampires and scattered murmurings from among the Death Eaters as the woman continued to rise toward the towering ceiling, but then, all cheers stopped as the board carrying the woman started to fall. She crashed back into the fire, spewing hot embers everywhere as the vampires stepped back in alarm and clearly shock.

Ginny stared, shocked, wondering if the woman was dead… It flashed through her mind that maybe that was a good thing; she winced at her own way of thinking and watched as the vampires scurry about.

"What has happened?" Voldemort bellowed from the back of the room, approaching the fire, cloak billowing behind him.

"We do not know, my lord. The host just vanished…" said one of the vampires, looking confused.

They all scurried around and started to chant and dance again.

"You should not plunder the ancient ways," a sudden voice came from allover, echoing off of the ceiling.

Silence followed.

"You anger Hera, the guardian of marriage and childbirth!" the voice yelled again, as if it was coming from the fire itself. The fire seemed to glow brighter and the heat from it intensified.

The strange voice clearly frightened the vampires and made the crowd of Death Eaters shift and move anxiously.

"Show yourself, messenger of the gods!" the head vampire yelled, arms raised in some sort of salute.

All attention was focused on the head vampire as he began to circle the fire, red eyes glaring into the flames; this was her chance, Ginny realized as she began tug on the rope that secured her, trying to make the already loose knot even looser. Finally she felt the knot give out and the heavy rope fall. She was free, but now what? No one seemed to notice that she was no longer secured to the wall, but if she did anything stupid they soon would. She crept along the wall, closer and closer to the black gates of the fortress, to the outside world.

"I AM ZEUS! KING OF THE GODS!" came the voice again, this time booming through the entire room, causing Ginny's ears to ring.

She clapped her hands over her ears as the voice echoed, seeming to gain strength as it bounced off of the walls. Ginny crouched in the shadows near the back of room, hoping no one would see her and alert the others of her presence; she continued to move along the wall, keeping low as she did. An excited murmur was heard among the vampires as they glanced all about, it was then that one of the vampires spotted the fallen rope on the floor where she had been before.

"The prisoner has escaped!" the vampire cried out in alarm, pointing at the empty space. Everyone, including Voldemort whirled around.

"Find her!" Voldemort bellowed, wand out and looking mad to the point of raving.

"NOW!" the strange voice yelled again.

Suddenly all hell broke loose. From out of the fire came stampeding figures, all of them cloaked in a black fabric that seemed to shimmer as they emerged out of the fire, looking unharmed and free of burns. The figures had wands but did not seem to be using them, instead they appeared to be carrying long stakes, and using the shock of them suddenly bursting out of the fire to their advantage. Ginny then realized that the figures were other vampires, but these kinds different.

Suddenly the Death Eater that had tied her to the wall before appeared before her, wand out; he grabbed her around the arm and hauled her up into a standing position, and together they ran. They sprinted around the charging vampires and surprised Death Eaters and then they ran as fast as their legs could go back into the heart of the fortress, away from the black gates. They ran up a flight of steep stone steps, down a hallway, then up another flight of steps, and then they came to a wooden door. The Death Eater, (Ginny was now starting to doubt if the man was really a Death Eater), opened the door, pushed her through, and shut it behind them and then barred it with a long, thick stake.

They had emerged into not another room but outside, on the flat roof of a tall tower. The wind was bitterly cold and it stung Ginny's cheeks as it blew. The Death Eater turned to her and whipped off his Death Eater mask, revealing a smooth, dark skinned face, but marred with a long, ugly scar on the right side of his face.

"Are you Ginny Weasley?" the black man asked her, looking at her intently.

"Yeah, who are you?" she asked, bewildered.

"I'm a friend of your brother's, but there isn't time to explain… Here, catch this"

She caught the broomstick easily, mounted it automatically, and took off into the air, anxious to get away from the black fortress. The man was directly behind her on his own broomstick and gaining speed to come and fly right beside her.

"Do you see the mainland?" he yelled to her, pointing to the now visible coastline.

Ginny had not realized that she had been held on an island; she looked back to catch the last glimpse of the island, but the fortress was no longer visible, just the black cliff was seen, but it was blurry. Ginny turned back around to stare at their destination, as it came closer and closer. Soon they were there and both of them dismounted and then the two ran. The area was not wooded land, that much was clear to Ginny, as they ran over the rocky beach. Ahead of them she could see visible snow topped mountains. She looked back to see if anyone was behind them while she was running, but it wasn't a good idea, and she went tumbling. She was so surprised and she tripped so badly, that she didn't even have the chance to break her fall, meaning that she hit her head when she fell. She was knocked unconscious, and would know nothing for several hours.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you all found this enjoyable to read, even though parts of it were a bit disturbing... I'm hoping I got Voldemort right in this, when I first started to write this chapter, Voldemort came out all wierd, he wasn't evil enough or something; but thankfully I think I fixed it. Mystery is also thrown into this chapter... so who is the black man? If you can guess this I'll give you HP cookies! Hint: Do not look towards JKR for the answer. **

**So tell me what you think! I love your reviews and I love getting them, so please everyone review ;). **


	23. Speaking Words of Wisdom, Let it Be

**Chapter 23: Speaking Words of Wisdom, Let it Be**

He was not the heroic type; hell, he wasn't really any type, just a laid back kind of guy who would rather drink in a pub with a couple of his mates and that was it. Yet he found himself in a situation that he couldn't get himself out of; a situation so far out of his own experience that he had no idea what to do. He was Robert Zain. Zain to all, and had a bad reputation when it came to following the rules, as his former (now missing) boss, Ronald Weasley, had found out first hand; Ron had wrestled with Zain's drinking ways more than once.

He was in a dark and dank place, shivering uncontrollably it seemed as he yanked a blanket from his pack and covered the pale Ginny Weasley with it, hoping that the young woman wouldn't die… he had healed her head to the best of his ability and hoped it would be enough. The place though, the small coastal cave that they had now made a temporary home, was better than Voldemort's Headquarters, where Zain had been a spy. The dark castle was a place where Zain would never return to, not even for all of the money in the world. That is how he got wrangled into the job in the first place: money, a game of poker, and too much whiskey.

Zain made coffee with a few quick words and swish of his dark, mahogany wand and he took a drink, hating the taste and wanting real, honest to goodness coffee, but that was impossible as he had no coffee beans, and no way to heat water. Coffee helped Zain think and only one thing was on his mind; how to contact Ron Weasley? He was missing and may have been dead for all Zain knew. He would just have to wait until Ginny Weasley woke up, and hopefully that would be soon, and then she could give him some answers.

There was a far bigger problem though, one that Zain was not aware of; while they were holed up in a cave in Northern Scotland, the people that Ginny was closest to were across the country, in Southern England, at the coast.

Hastings was a port city, covered in history. It was the site of the Battle of Hastings, in which William I defeated the English king Harold II in 1066, then, after 1377, it was raided and burned by the French. The town was well known as a popular summer resort but summer had long been over and England was deep into its rainy fall. It was just beginning to get dark and the anxiousness of a certain group continued to mount as one of their own remained missing. The Order of the Phoenix were also in a cave as this one. Not as damp and dark, but it was foreboding, the strange carvings on the walls frightened them, as did the rebel vampires that made their home there. They were "good" vampires to be sure, but vampires all the same, and they could succumb to carnal urges. There was much pacing as the Weasleys and Harry waited for word on Ginny from the vampires.

Harry in particular was on edge, especially at Mr. Weasley's stare, for all now knew that he and Ginny were more than friends. It was not a worry, not after Ginny went missing, but still, the knowledge that there would be awkward questions later made Harry feel even sicker. Hermione and Ron sat with each other in the corner, she had calmed down a good bit after the situation with the vampire but she felt queasy all the same; Ron kept a tight grip on her waist in a kind of hug, as if she would suddenly disappear.

"I hate being here," Moody growled, his magical eye trained on the door.

"We know, Alastor, we know; but we have no other choice!" Minerva said in a strained voice, her cheeks pale as she pulled her wrap closer to her thin, aging frame.

Mrs. Weasley sniffled and Harry felt his annoyance, no, his temper rise with every passing minute as his girlfriend remained missing. He clenched his fists and he winced from the pain; Mrs. Weasley had healed his broken hand, but it still pained him a bit. _She was gone…_ His mind couldn't wrap around it completely, she wasn't there to hold, or to sneak glances at. The space between them was oddly empty, as if a big chunk had suddenly been yanked away.

Harry looked straight at the floor and gritted his teeth, he shouldn't have just been sitting, none of them should have just been sitting and worrying. Instead, Harry thought, they should have been looking for her. It reminded him of when Hermione was missing and Ron's want to go look for her had been almost unstoppable. Harry shivered and he wondered what was happening to Ginny, if she was being hurt.

"Here comes somebody…" Moody said both of his eyes focused on the door.

It opened and in came two vampires. One had black hair, blue-green eyes, and looked anxious about something, the other was far calmer looking, with a long face, a wide nose, and brown hair with brown eyes. They all stood up from their sitting positions and waited for the vampires to say something.

"Are you comfortable?" the long faced vampire asked, his hands clasped in front of him.

_"What a stupid question,"_ Harry thought.

"We're fine, thank you," Remus said approaching the guests.

The black haired one hissed and stepped back, staring at Moony with alarmed eyes. The other vampire grabbed the first vampire by the arm and pulled him back up to stand next to him.

"Pardon my comrade, he's sensitive to werewolves. I am Ural and this is Terek," he said, gesturing towards the anxious vampire.

Before Remus could answer, Mr. Weasley broke in. "Is there any news of my daughter?" he asked.

"I am sorry, Weasley, but no. Our leader, Laurence, has sent out messengers throughout the land and hopefully some word of your young daughter will come shortly. For now, we are asked to bring you to our leader."

Everyone shared a look.

"Why does he want to see us?" George asked.

"We have no knowledge of this, but those are our orders: to bring you to the great Laurence. The women may stay here if you like," Ural answered, looking a bit ruffled.

There was a short discussion and finally it was decided that Mr. Weasley, Ron, Harry, George, and Bill would go, but Remus and Moody would stay behind. The five men left and they were taken down a long hallway with one question on their minds: what was going on? It had crossed their minds that perhaps they were not wanted there and that Derek might have made a grave mistake. They arrived at a large wooden door, aged with time and having carved symbols covering the surface; they reminded Bill of the hieroglyphics that he had seen in his earlier days as a curse breaker in Egypt. He recognized the earth but the others were foreign to him. The door was opened and they were ushered into a dimly lit room, the room was large with comfortable looking padded armchairs around a medium sized desk. Behind the desk sat who they assumed to be the leader of the "good" vampires, the one called Laurence.

He stood up in greeting and gestured to the chairs. Laurence was short for a vampire, he was about Ron's height, with a full beard and mustache and short light brown hair, almost blond but not quite making it. He wore a long black cloak with a black pair of muggle trousers.

"Welcome to my hideaway. Please, make yourselves at home," the vampire said in an English burr.

They took a seat and a few seconds later the door behind them opened and in walked Derek. Tension filled the room as Derek took a seat in the last chair and stared straight ahead toward his leader.

"I'm sure you are wondering why you are here and why I have sent for you to have a conference of sorts with me. Well, I think there are a few things that we must address," he cleared his throat and continued. "Firstly, I must tell you that we are doing everything in our power to find Ms. Weasley and soon, I am sure, we will hear something from one of our informants. Secondly, I must also express the graveness of your being here, while I have no qualms about Derek allowing you refuge, it is of the utmost importance that you keep yourselves to yourselves."

"And that means?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Simply that I ask you to keep the whereabouts of our Headquarters to yourselves and that I think it would be best if you kept to your rooms during your duration here, unless you are accompanied by a few of my people, as a precaution. I do hope you understand…" Laurence answered.

"Of course we understand, and thank you for your hospitality," Mr. Weasley said, looking visibly relieved.

Another vampire came in then with a bundle of familiar looking papers. There was a short, whispered discussion between Laurence and the newly arrived vampire. Ron mentally scratched his head and tried to figure out where he had seen the papers and the folder. It dawned on him only when the conversation ended and the vampire had just begun to head out the door, the papers left behind.

"What are you doing with those?" Ron asked angrily, recognizing the papers as Hermione's notes on the Sidereal potion.

"Please, do calm down young Mr. Weasley, everything will be explained shortly," the vampire said calmly, looking by all accounts unfazed my Ron's loud outburst.

Ron huffed in disbelief. "I want it explained now! Those our Hermione's, not yours and you have no right to take what ever you please."

"I know that Mr. Weasley, nor did I take them from her or any one else, they were left behind in the skirmish with Voldemort's followers."

"Oh," Ron said quietly, looking slightly sheepish.

Laurence picked up the heavy folder that contained stray pieces of notebook paper, but also entire pads of it. He was curious as to what they contained, especially after what Aidan (the vampire who had brought him the notes) had said. As he handed it to Ron he hoped that he would be able to speak to the young lady that was so adamant about her notes.

'Thanks," said Ron as he took the folder from Laurence; he tucked it firmly under his arm.

"Is that all that you wanted to say?" Harry questioned as Laurence waved his hand to tell the guards near the door to open it.

"For now, yes. All of you should get some rest and tomorrow we will continue."

They got up and were almost out of the door when Mr. Weasley turned to address Laurence again. "If you hear about my daughter, you will come and notify us immediately, won't you?"

"Of course Mr. Weasley."

* * *

Ginny awoke slowly, wanting to stay asleep forever but at the same time her built-in body clock was urging her to get up. Her brown eyes opened and the first thing she saw was a ceiling of only dirt and wooden beams. She blinked in confusion and sat up, but then regretted it when her head felt like it would split in two. She lay back down on the charmed-soft ground and held her head in her hands, praying for the pounding and the swaying room to stop. She felt the large bandage on her head and her breath hitched; the bandage went all the way around her head but mostly it covered her forehead, where if she pressed into it she could feel a bump.

Once Ginny felt like she wasn't going to be sick any more she turned her head the side to look more at her surroundings, and as she had feared she had no idea where she was. She was clearly in a cavern but how she got there was completely unknown to her. Ginny thought back to the last thing she remembered, she had been on a broom and had been racing toward land with a black man she didn't know. Whether or not she had landed was unclear and blurry in her head.

Still unsure if she would be able to get up, Ginny stayed where she was, looking all around and thinking back. She wondered for the umpteenth time if Harry, her family, and Hermione were all right. Ginny could imagine her mum being frantic and the others worried for her safety, but mostly she thought about Harry. So many things had changed so quickly that she really hadn't been able to catch her breath, but as she lay there, she thought them through. Harry was everything to everyone, as the prophesized savior of the world he took front and center stage and it was of the utmost importance that he survive. How he could live and destroy the very essence of evil was often on Ginny's mind, she wanted a future and with Voldemort looming wherever they went that was impossible. She knew Harry's duty better than anyone but that didn't mean that she didn't entertain the thought of running away with him and going someplace where it would take Voldemort a long, long time to find them. But he eventually would, and then all would be over.

She thought back to what she had seen in the Voldemort's lair, with all of the vampires and the horrific displays of cruelty that she had seen. Ginny knew that the image of that woman staring at her with frightened, empty eyes would never leave her. She needed to get back to her family and she would do anything in her power to do just that.

Ginny broke from her train of thought as she heard of shuffling near the front of the cavern, about where her feet rested. A shaft of light appeared and Ginny wished she had her wand with her as a large figure began to crawl through an opening the wall. He emerged and Ginny suppressed a gasp at the size of the dark skinned man; he wasn't carrying a lot of fat on his bones but instead a great deal of muscle. As he turned back around to the opening in the wall of dirt and closed the small door behind him, Ginny kept an eye on him as he turned around once again. His eyes widened for a moment when he realized that she was in fact awake.

"Good, you're awake."

Ginny searched for an answer. On one hand she wanted to scream "who the hell are you" but on the other, if the man before her was one of the good guys, she wanted to answer more of a toned down version of "who are you and where am I."

"Uh… yeah. Who are you?" Ginny asked shakily as he approached her and then took a seat next to her on the ground.

"The name's Zain," he said shortly as he laid his hands upon her bruised head and began to unwrap her bandage.

Ginny was startled and shrunk away from him. "Wha-- what are you doing?"

"Checking your bloody head, now stay still," he insisted, and then the bandage was removed.

Across her forehead there was a light scar where a gash used to be, but the skin around the area was black and blue. Ginny reached up with her hand and felt the bruising and the bump.

"Did I crack my skull open?" she asked.

"No, you didn't and you should be fine."

Zain rose to his feet and rummaged around behind Ginny, clearly looking for something; soon he was back near her side carrying a glass of water, he sat down again and with his right hand tipped her head up a little so that she could take a sip of cool water.

"Where am I?" said Ginny after she had finished and he had pulled away.

"We are on one of he Orkney Islands just about 10 miles off of the coast of Scotland."

"What happened? How did I escape?" she asked.

He took a deep breath and began. "I was a spy at You-Know-Who's headquarters, I had been stationed there for two months when you came in, and immediately I knew you were a Weasley. I know your brother Ron; he was my boss and a real pain in the arse at cavern 34. So, being sick and tired of playing a Death Eater, I broke you out. On brooms we flew over the waters of Scapa Flow, a sea basin right smack dab in the middle of the islands. The brooms were old pieces of shit and didn't get us far when they began to slow and we landed. You tripped and hit your head when we began to run across the rocky terrain," Zain finished.

Ginny nodded and whispered a shy thank you. There was silence for a few minutes as Ginny thought over what he said.

"I need to get word to my family."

He turned around from where he had been reading a muggle newspaper to stare at her. "Do I look like Mr. fix it?"

"What?"

"Look babe, I don't know where your brother is and I have a feeling that you don't know either, so don't ask me."

Ginny stared at him in shock. "Don't call me that."

"Don't call you what?"

"Babe, I don't like it."

"You know what, a bloke would think that after saving your life you would be a little less demanding."

Ginny gaped at him and was about to retort when he turned away from her again, firmly ignoring her. What did he expect her to do? Just sit around and wait for them to come to her? She huffed and sat up slowly, her head feeling better but still not quite right.

"You shouldn't be sitting up," he said, not turning around as he took a sip of something.

Ginny was about to tell him to shut up, but changed her mind and instead said, "where's my wand?"

"Snapped in two by a Death Eater," Zain said evenly.

"Snapped in two!" Ginny screeched not liking the sound of that at all. "What exactly am I supposed to do with out a wand, smile at the Death Eaters?"

"Don't scream at me, go screech like a banshee at the Death Eater, haven't you ever heard of don't kill the messenger?"

She growled in frustration and if she had had her wand she probably would have hexed him. She huffed again, lay back down, and turned on her side, still seething. Ginny calmed down and began to feel rather tired, the fight had taken it out of her and she fell back to sleep.

The next morning she woke up feeling far more rested than she had when she had woken up before, in fact she was now able to sit up with little pain and dizziness.

"Oh, good you're awake," Zain said from behind her, where he was cleaning several large white socks with repeated "scourgifies."

"How long was I asleep?"

"About 12 hours. Do you want anything to eat?" he asked, putting down his socks and standing up.

Ginny heard her stomach making noises and realized that she hadn't had anything to eat in several days. "Yes, please."

Zain set before her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk. Ginny ate slowly, worried that she would be sick after not eating in awhile. While she ate, she thought back to their early discussion, or lack thereof, over sending word to her family. She couldn't stand just laying around when her family and Harry were worried sick about her…

"Isn't there anyway we could tell my family that I'm alright?" she asked after a gulp of milk.

"I'm as clueless as you."

Ginny was silent for a few minutes. "Well, who sent you to be a spy here?"

"A real sick bastard named Taryn Hendricks. He's the head of EUAG (Elite Unitary Arrest Group) and the Home Project. He got me pissed out of my mind and in my state made me sign a little paper making me one of his Elites, you know one of the down and dirty guys who do all of the work, while he sits around drinking mead all day long. Well, when I sobered up I found myself in this dump of a cavern with two other guys who gave me a crash course on how to be a spy."

"Did you try to get away?" she asked appalled that anyone on the good side would stoop to such low measures.

"Nope, the minute I could see through my hell of a hangover the two other guys gave me a sweet little note from Hendricks, telling me that if I did not do my "duty" he would cut off my balls and feed them to his dog. The day before I was set to leave for that small island where You-Know-Who's bloody castle was, I pissed all over the note and sent it back to him," Zain chuckled and took the plate away from Ginny.

She turned around to stare at him incredulously and then laughed at the dreamy expression on his face.

"That guy sounds like such an arsehole that I doubt he would even help me if we did send him a letter…"

"Uh, yeah, there's also a little thing about it being impossible to contact him, he's possibly the most protected man on the good side," he answered her.

"Well, is there anybody else?" she asked again, starting to wonder if she was going to be able to even talk to her family again.

Zain didn't say anything for several moments as he mulled over it. There was only one man he could think of, the only guy crazy enough and possibly stupid enough to break the rules and help him. It wasn't that they hadn't been looking for Ron, but to keep the secret of where the good side had its caverns and such, very little searching had gone on.

"I know one guy, his name's Adonis Gossard. He should give us the help we need."

"Why do you think he would help?" Ginny asked, curious.

"Because he owes me a favor, a big one, and he's crazy enough to go against the rules."

A look of uncertainly crossed Ginny's features. "Won't he get into big trouble though? I mean, his job is clearly on the line…"

"Yeah, but I saved his life."

"Oh. You seam to be in a habit of doing that," Ginny joked.

"It's a bad one too."

* * *

Harry held his breath, afraid of making any little noise as he tip-toed around the sleeping figures in sleeping bags, trying to make his way toward the door. He was almost to it when a cold hand grabbed his pant leg; he refrained a yelp of surprise as he glanced down. It was Mr. Weasley and in the faint light, Harry could see that he looked stern, it looked strange on his generally kind, easy-going face.

"Harry, what are you doing?" he hissed, throwing off several blankets and standing up.

"Mr. Weasley please…"

Arthur pulled on Harry's sleeve gently and led him to the door and then out of it; they stood out in the dark hallway, waiting for the other to say something.

"Well?" Mr. Weasley finally said, taking his eyeglasses out of his shirt pocket and putting them on.

"Mr. Weasley please don't stop me. This is just something that I have to do, and I have to do it now, before more people get hurt…" Harry whispered, hoping that they hadn't woke anybody up.

"Harry, all of these years you've been like a son to me, ever since you stayed at the Burrow that first time after your first year and even then I could see that you were older then your twelve years. Molly had hoped that you could stay a child a little while longer, but I knew even before Dumbledore told us about the Prophecy, that you would someday have the world on your shoulders. Dumbledore said that you could handle the responsibility and I still, to this very second, believe that. But Harry, that doesn't mean that I won't stop you from doing something rash. Harry why didn't you and Ginny tell us that you two were involved? I don't understand why you two felt that you had to hide it… We would gladly except you as Ginny's boyfriend."

Harry was silent for a moment. "Because, we wanted to keep it to ourselves, we just wanted it to be our thing, no body else's."

Arthur's eyes softened and he understood, privacy was a hard thing to achieve when one was in hiding and everybody knew everything about everybody else. "We'll find her Harry," he whispered, his throat feeling suddenly dry and parched as he placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "But you have to be here when she gets back, this is neither the time nor the place for going off on your own."

"Thank you Mr. Weasley," Harry muttered, the emotions from the passed day overwhelming him finally as he felt tears prickle the corner of his emerald green eyes.

"I think you can call me Arthur now, Harry."

* * *

**A/N: I am so desperately sorry that it has taken me forever to update! I had a really bad case of writer's block but now I have overcome it and I think that the next chapter will be coming out rather quickly ;). Thank you to my beta fanfictionsissy! **

**Please, please review! **


	24. The Cave of Athena

**Chapter 24: The Cave of Athena **

It was well known that vampires kept to themselves, shunned by a world that knew little about them. Even from the very beginning of the world, a hatred grew. They became more and more secluded, until finally they could only be found under the earth itself, in caves and underground fortresses. Here they learned something that would never leave them; on the walls of many caves were pictures, some so old that they told of a world long gone. To skilled and learned humans they would be able to see that they were one large tome of Greek Mythology.

Greek Mythology is a set of diverse traditional tales told by the ancient Greeks about the exploits of gods and heroes and their relations with ordinary mortals, in normal terms their religion. The Gods of Greece were feared above all other things- they dictated wars, the weather, death, and disease. To the ancient Greeks the whole world was started by the god Chaos, the foundation for all things, from him came Gaea, the earth. Gaea produced the Titans, known as the Elder Gods, but with the birth of strong and arrogant Titans, came deception and strife. The youngest of the Titans was Cronus who married his sister Rhea, the mother God. Cronus became ruler when he overthrew his father, Uranus, and then to stop any of his own offspring from taking over, he swallowed his children. But Rhea thwarted her husband and hid her youngest son, Zeus. Zeus later made war with his father and the other Titans, he won and then ruled on Mount Olympus with his brothers and sisters.

Rhea retreated from all known things and went deep into the mountain wilds of Asia Minor; there she experimented with spells, incantations, and potions, until she became the true mother of magic. She liked to experiment and as Zeus and his fellow kin ruled on Mount Olympus, she created a different sort of man, and to him she gave him all of her powers. He learned from her spells and potions and she gave to him a large pendant of black stone, the stone held powers that not even Rhea knew of. The man left Rhea and married a mortal woman and his six sons and five daughters inherited his powers. The eleven children grew up and married and then had children of their own, until this special kind of human dotted the land. Mortals began to fear these people and their strange powers and labeled them witches and wizards.

Centuries passed and as each new generation of wizards and witches emerged they were given a piece of the original black stone to keep as their own. The oldest wizard or witch from each generation would receive a piece of stone and then they would pass it down to their youngest male child on their 17th birthday. Soon the stone became smaller and smaller until the stone could no longer be split, in total the stone was split 20 times. So, there were 21 wizarding families with such stones.

Time passed though and the origin of the stones became forgotten, until they became nothing more than family heirlooms. Some of the most famous witches and wizards had a piece of stone: Godric Gryffindor, Merlin, Morgan le Fay, and Rowena Ravenclaw. But then something strange started happening as the old original wizarding families started dieing out, the stones disappeared- but to where no one knew. The original wizarding families were those that could trace their line strait back to the first magical man. As the 20th century dawned only one such family remained, and a noble family they were- the Prewitts.

In some circumstances no male child was born to a family or the child did not survive to his 17th birthday, if that happened the piece of stone would pass down to the youngest female child. That is was became of the Prewitts.

* * *

Ginny peered over Zain's shoulder to look at the letter he was writing to his friend, Adonis Gossard, about needing help; it was a short letter, just a note really and it summarized who they wanted him to contact and why.

"You bug the crap out of me when you do that," Zain growled, tense as she continued to look over his shoulder.

"Well, I'm so sorry to intrude," she huffed, backing away from him to sit in one of the two chairs in the small cavern.

Zain finished and with a flourish the note disappeared with a wave of his wand and a few muttered words.

The two of them had been there now for a total of two and a half days and they were getting rather testy with each other, the two of them did not get along at all. Ginny prayed that Zain's friend (to her though the man sounded like an old drinking buddy and little else) would be able to help her find her family.

Life in that little cavern was extremely boring, so boring in fact that Ginny often felt like pulling out her own hair to have something to do. The rest of that day passed like the others, silence between Zain and Ginny, as the day dragged by at a snail's pace.

That night, almost 350 miles away and just North of Leeds, England, a short, burly man shuffled through his orders for the next day. The man was in a sour mood as he heard, through the too thin walls of the shack in the middle of nowhere, his boss, and sworn archenemy make some local Muggle girl giggle and moan.

"Hasn't he ever heard of silencing charms?" his partner and best mate said, waving his wand and putting an invisible wall of silence around them.

"Apparently not," the man growled, stapling his orders together as he put them in the correct order.

"Adonis, what's eatin' you tonight?"

"Nothing," Adonis Gossard answered gruffly, moving for his coat and putting it on. "I'm going out. I'll be a couple of hours."

Gossard heard his friend snicker and then say, "hey, if you go pick up one of those Muggle girls, make sure you bring one back for me."

There were a few rude hand gestures and Adonis was out the door, the cold night air making him pull his coat tighter around him as he walked down a small trail. He'd been stationed at the small shack for a year and it was boring work, especially since he was not informed as to what he was doing there; his superiors had simply said it was top-secret and on a need to know basis.

The small shack he was stationed at was located several miles outside of Leeds; Leeds was a city of about 715,000 Muggles and was an important distribution point with a canal and railroad. Very few Muggles knew of the small shack hidden amongst a clump of trees some five miles out of Leeds and any Muggles who did discover it had their memories modified immediately. There was only one trail from the shack to Leeds and the trail was discreet, ending in a small alley between two old buildings in the not so desirable part of town.

Feeling restless and rather bored Adonis did not spend much in his favorite pub but instead made his way back to the shack early. When he got to the front door all but one of the lights were out, signaling that his friend had gone to bed, so with being quiet in mind he opened the door and tip-toed in. As he had seen there was just one candle burning on the desk next to a stack of papers and a folded note; not remembering seeing the note, Adonis went to the desk instead of his cot and seeing his name on the front he opened it.

_I am afraid, old friend that this is not a note of "how are yous" and "when are you free for a drink,"_ _but instead- I need your help. The last time you heard from me I was at C-5, being a guard there, but I was soon moved to C-34, where I was working for Ron Weasley. I know you've heard of him since he disappeared a while ago and letters where sent to everyone to keep an eye out for him. After he disappeared I was hoodwinked into becoming one of the Elites, I was then stationed as a spy and playing a Death Eater. Two days ago I blew my cover to save one Ginevra Weasley, Ron Weasley's sister, who is close to The-Boy-Who-Lived. _

_I am writing on behalf of Ms. Weasley to ask your help in contacting the rest of the Weasleys of her whereabouts. She knows nothing of where they are but she believes that it is possible they are getting help from a band of rebel vampires. I know that there is a rumored group somewhere on the Southern Coast but it is just a rumor, so that information may not be reliable. Any help would be more than appreciated. Below is the note that I want sent to the Weasley's:_

_To: Arthur Weasley _

_Ginevra is safe, and held up in cavern on Orkney Island. Unsafe to travel, Death Eaters are about. Please relay location and information through Mr. Gossard. _

_From: Robert Zain_

_Your Friend, _

_Rob_

Adonis blinked and stared at the short note, what ever he had been expecting that certainly wasn't it. It sounded to him like his friend had somehow gotten himself into, for the lack of a better phrase, deep shit. A sigh escaped him and with a look of resigned determination, he sat down at the desk and copied the small note for Arthur Weasley, adding his name at the bottom and the location. When he was finished he placed several charms on the parchment so that only Arthur Weasley could read it, folded it carefully, and then placed it into a plain white envelope. On the envelope he put Arthur's name and then with a tap of his wand it disappeared with a small poof of white smoke.

The problem with sending notes and letters with a charm was that he had to know exactly where the letter was going for it to be sent, unlike owls who could find the recipient. But they could not use owls since they were too easily traceable; so he sent it 225 miles down the line to Dover, going on the hunch that Arthur Weasley was getting help from a rebel group of vampires.

When letters are vanished but then appear somewhere else, they do not race around the countryside until they reach the right person but instead they travel along a different plain (like empty space) from the one we actually live on. Unless the location or person it is supposed to be going to is not clear or incorrect the letter should arrive instantly or close to it.

In Dover, England, some 40 miles northeast of Hastings an overweight man is taking a much needed nap in his desk chair. He is Albert Porter, an older muggle-born wizard who works and lives in Dover, in an old office building; the old office building is also part of the "underground" wizarding community who are still actively fighting You-Know-Who and is an information center for the rest of wizarding world. Albert is of the several wizards who work in the building, but he is working late after several weeks of back logged paperwork to do. He is the only one there except for his wife who also works as his secretary.

Albert awakes with a pronounced jolt when the letter appears on his desk with a loud popping noise and a cloud of bad smelling, gray smoke. Blinking his watery blue eyes, he eyes the letter with curiosity and picks it up, reading the front of the envelope:

_To Arthur Weasley, location unknown, from Robert Zain (Orkney Islands), relayed by Adonis Gossard (Leeds)_

The following was near the bottom:

_The location of afore mentioned Arthur Weasley is unknown but it is a possibility that he, at the moment, resides in England, near the Southern coast. The matter that is discussed in the letter is hidden and of the **utmost importance**. _

It wasn't often that they got letters relayed to them about persons who were unknown but when they did it was difficult, almost impossible to find them. Running his right hand through his thinning hair, Mr. Porter stands to his feet and walks through a plain brown painted door behind his chair and desk. The door led to a small flat where he lived with his wife, Helen. The flat was small but livable with polished old wooden floors and several throw rugs; they were worn in spots but very clean. The walls were all painted a calming pale yellow and an arched doorway led to the kitchen and dining room, while a closed door on the far wall led to the bedroom and bathroom.

Even though it was nearing midnight, his wife was still awake in her reclining armchair, clearly engrossed in a muggle romance novel. Helen was an older woman who had clearly been a real beauty in her younger days. Her black hair was now flecked with gray but it was still thick, full, very curly, and cut short to about her shoulders. Her face was round and pretty with small lines here and there around her eyes and mouth, she was clearly a woman who laughed a lot. She was plump and dressed in a short, blue dressing gown; her legs and feet were bare.

"Helen, dear?"

There was no answer but questioning a "hmmm?" as her deep brown eyes moved over the words of her book, the cover of which showed a willowy shaped woman being kissed passionately by a shirtless, tanned man; the title read, The Promised Love.

"Helen?" he said again, this time louder to catch her attention more completely.

She lowered her book reluctantly and looked up at him with a slightly annoyed look. "Yes, dear, what is it?"

"We just got an important memo, from the sector up in Leeds and they're looking for an Arthur Weasley, "location unknown," could you do a quick search?" Albert asked in a delicate manner, knowing after years of marriage that Helen didn't like being interrupted in the middle of a good book.

She stood up and straightened her robe before striding over to him around the coffee table. She took the envelope from him and glanced at it.

"Well, that's peculiar," she muttered, reading over the front of the envelope again before continuing, "why did this Robert Zain send it to Leeds first and not straight to us? It would have been faster than sending it to Leeds, especially if it was this important."

"Perhaps, he new the person in Leeds?"

"I bet you're right, and sure I can do that before I go to bed," she said, taking her coat from the closet near the door and exiting the small flat.

In her husband's office she put on the coat and went out the door from the office to as long hallway lined with doors that were to other offices. She turned right and went past five or six doors before stopping and opening one. The room was pitch black but soon flared with light when Helen clicked on the electric switch near the door. The room was extremely large and clearly enlarged with magic to hold what looked to be towering walls of filing cabinets. Taking out her wand she pointed it at the middle of the room and in a clear ringing voice called out, "Weasley, Arthur."

Nothing happened but she tried again. "Requesting all files on Weasley!"

This time there was a dinging noise like the doors on a lift opening. The voice of a bored sounding man (much like the voice from the Ministry of Magic) answered back with, "identify yourself please."

"Porter, Helen, secretary to Porter, Albert."

"Request granted, please wait a moment as your request is found."

There was another ding and then a whistling sound as a several folders came flying through the air, hooked onto a rail system attached to the ceiling. The folders came to an abrupt halt almost above her head and then were dropped onto a table directly in front of her. There was another ding and the hook that had once held the folders raced back over the towering walls of filing cabinets, out of sight.

"Thank you, have a nice day," the bored voice said again.

Helen picked up the folders (there was about five of them) and tucked them under her arm. She retraced her steps back into her husband's office (turning off lights that had been left on as she went). Lastly, she turned off the light in Albert's office and opened the door to her flat, stepped into the living room, and closed the door behind her.

There were noises coming from the kitchen and Helen went in there to find Albert making himself a mug of hot chocolate, which was a pre-bedtime ritual of theirs. She set the folders down on the table and took a seat as she opened the first folder, which was larger than the rest and appeared to be a great deal older. Albert set a mug of steaming hot chocolate in front of her and took the seat next to her.

"There wasn't an exact file devoted entirely to Arthur Weasley, so these are all of the folders concerning the name Weasley," Helen said, taking a sip of the hot liquid cautiously and sliding one of the folders to her husband.

"Thanks dear," he replied. "_Accio Spectacles_," he said with a wave of his wand toward the living room where he had left his glasses early.

The glasses soared into his outstretched hand and he put them on, the folder came into sharper focus; he opened it and took a glance on the header in typed block type letters was the name: _Ronald Bilius Weasley_. Albert turned the page and read through a newer memo that he had seen only once before.

_**Missing: Ronald Weasley **_

_As of September 12th Ronald Weasley (known by Ron) had been declared missing and so, in due course, has been stripped of his title as Head of C-34. If he is found and was delayed from returning back to his position from no fault of his own, he is of sound mind, and body he will be reinstated as Head of C-34. _

_He was last seen with the following: Hermione Granger, Andrea Gibbers, and Jabir Hassan. _

_If you have any information contact Taryn Hendricks, London, including your name and location so that a reply may be sent back to you. _

Albert finished reading through the memo and raised his eyebrows as he wondered whether or not Ron Weasley had anything to do with the letter to Arthur Weasley.

"What does that folder say?" Albert asked, gesturing at the folder Helen was looking through.

"It's about Arthur Weasley's entire family, summarized according to what happened in what year. The family appears to have been rather active during the beginning of the second war, but after their time of hiding began, they seemed to fall off of the face of the earth. Almost all of their children were involved with the war and one was even best friends with Harry Potter," Helen finished.

"What were the children's names?"

"This is from oldest to youngest: William, Charles, Percy, Fredrick, George, Ronald, and Ginevra. Their mother is Molly Prewitt-Weasley."

Albert didn't say anything for a moment as he took a drink of the now cooling hot chocolate and pondered the connections. "Which one was Harry Potter's best friend?" he asked, finally.

"The youngest boy, Ronald. Why do you ask?"

"I have his folder over here and he's been missing for several months; I am afraid that this letter maybe far more urgent than it let's on," Albert concluded, pointing to the letter on the table. "That letter needs to get to Arthur Weasley as soon as possible."

Helen agreed and they pored over the folders for an hour, forgetting all about going to bed, as the situation seemed to become more and more urgent. After looking through all five folders and not finding a thing that could point to Arthur Weasley's location they decided to continue the search in the morning.

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes the next morning and for a moment she couldn't remember where she was, but then it all came crashing back down to her. Ginny was missing and they were in a Vampire's lair, which made her cringe and a shiver go up her spine. So much had happened over the past three days that Hermione's mind felt muddled and she longed to clear it. Under normal circumstances, she probably would have gone for a long stroll to clear her head but there were dangers lurking around every corner in a vampire's lair. Even though these group of vampires were opposed to Voldemort and his followers that didn't mean they liked mortals in their hide-away.

Resigning herself to the fact that she could not leave the group of rooms that the Order of the Phoenix were staying in, she snuggled in further into the blankets. Ron's sleeping form was present beside her and she reveled in the comfort that he brought even as he slumbered on. No one, not even Mrs. Weasley, had said anything when had moved his own narrow cot directly next to hers so that one larger bed was created; she (that being Mrs. Weasley) had looked at them pointedly with a bit of surprise mixed in on her freckled, lined features, but Hermione clearly saw her bite her lip and climb into her own cot.

Hermione figured that many things that they had once held in great importance had suddenly been pushed to the sidelines when Ginny disappeared. That must have included the fact that Ron and Hermione were secretly "seeing each other" because nobody cared and Hermione, (or Ron it seemed), no longer cared if everyone knew.

They also, now knew that there was something going on between Harry and Ginny, mostly from Harry's reaction to Ginny disappearing. But nobody mentioned this either. The curiosity that Hermione once had over the Sidereal potion had ebbed away, but it was still in the back of her mind, buzzing around like an annoying fly. There was one interesting thing that she now knew that came out of their recent fight with the vampires on Voldemort's side and the Death Eaters that the potion did work. She had seen the future in one of her visions when she was under the potions effects, Neville dueling with a man, a Death Eater. It scared her and yet thrilled her all at once, the potion did work, and yet it was frightening to think she had seen the future.

Wondering what time it was, she turned on her other side (so that she faced Ron's back) and was able to prop herself on her elbows and take a look at Ron's watch: _6:34 am_. It was early yet and she knew that everyone would at least sleep for another hour.

The day went by slowly as they all sat around waiting for any news that the vampires might bring on Ginny. Sometimes they paced back and forth across the room, other times they just sat around, or read any book that was available to them, but no word came about Ginny.

Around four o'clock in the afternoon the head vampire, Laurence, stopped by to catch them up on a few of their proceedings to find Ginny and to give them general information; the muck in Hermione's head seemed to clear as Laurence told them a brief history of their cavern on Bill's request.

"It is believed by my people that this is a sacred place and is known to them as the cave of Athena, the god of Wisdom. There is a story, but it really is not a story since it is fact, of my people that tells of a great war that took place here not long ago, between the remaining gods of Greece. It was a bloody war and many gods were killed by Ares, who craved power over his father, Zeus. Athena fled the battles and hid here, in this very underground cave.

In this cave she mourned the loss of her family and in the midst of her despair a vision came to her: it was her Grandmother, Rhea, who told her of a way to end the fighting and evil that gripped the land. Long ago, after Zeus defeated his father, Rhea created the first Wizard and Rhea gave him his powers but also a large black stone. This stone had fantastic magical powers and was crafted out of the purest black marble. The large stone was broken many times and then passed down through the generations that followed," Laurence paused, looking at the stunned expressions of his guests, he was an excellent story teller.

"Rhea told Athena that the fighting would end if she gathered the remaining pieces of black stone and take them to a place called _Iisalmi Avala_," Laurence paused again, judging the looks on their faces.

Hermione, listened intently, enthralled with what she was hearing from the Vampire; it was fascinating, whether it was true or not. She longed to ask him questions about the story and she blurted out the first one: "Did she ever find _Iisalmi Avala_?" she asked, the strange name rolling off of her tongue like it was the coolest, sweetest water.

They all, Laurence included, turned to stare at her. The vampire's eyes widened, as if seeing her for the first time and what could almost be called a grin crossed his pale face.

"You are Ms. Granger, am I correct?" he asked, his striking blue eyes (they were the color of the clearest, clean sky) focused unswervingly on her.

Hermione felt uncomfortable under his intent stare and against her will, her head dropped, her gaze falling to the floor. "Yes," she answered, just above a whisper.

"There is no reason to fear me, I have heard of your cleverness and it is an honor to have you here." Everyone turned their gazes to him, looking surprised.

"Thank you, that is very kind," she responded, lifting her head back up to look at him. When she lifted her head, her cloak shifted, so that more of her pale neck was revealed; around her neck was the talisman that Ron had given her all those years ago when they were young.

Laurence didn't say anything for a time as he looked at the talisman, nobody noticed it but him. "To answer your question Ms. Granger, yes she did find _Iisalmi Avala_, it was a large mystical lake, with unknown powers. Athena began to gather the stones but before she could complete her task, her grief overtook her and she began to age rapidly and she left this earth forever."

"You mean, she died?" Harry asked, as he too listened intently.

"But I thought--" Hermione began, but was cut off by the vampire.

"She could not die, for she was a goddess and immortal, but she got closer to truly dieing than any of her kin before her. She left but never completed the task, only one of the stones was left without ever being found," he finished but then began once again, the tone of his voice changed into great curiosity as his eyes flickered back the twisted, criss-crossing shape of the talisman around Hermione's neck. "Ms. Granger, may I be so foreword to ask how you required that talisman around your neck."

Hermione's gasp was joined by Mrs. Weasley's as she whirled around to stare at it. Hermione quickly stuffed it back under the neck of her robes.

"I--It was given to me, why?"

"Could I see it please?" he asked his palm outstretched.

She bit her lip and wondered if that was a good idea before she reasoned that the vampire before them could be trusted; she rose from her chair and approached Laurence, she dropped the talismans into his palm.

"I was under the impression Ms. Granger that you are a muggle-born and have no wizarding relations."

"Well, yes… I don't understand what you are saying," Hermione responded, confused.

Laurence said nothing for a time as he held the talisman gingerly in his hand. "Ms. Granger do you know what this is?"

"It's a protection talisman," she answered, growing more confused as he sidestepped her question.

"I am afraid it is far more than that," he replied, his eyes growing wider. "Mr. Weasley are you the youngest male in your immediate family?"

Now, everyone else looked equally confused. "No, my brother Frank was the youngest, he died of the dragon pox when he was 20."

"Interesting…," he muttered his gaze now turning to Mrs. Weasley, who's face was turning steadily redder, "Mrs. Weasley, do you have any brothers?"

She shook her head. "No, they all died before they reached adulthood, I was the only girl. Why do you ask?"

His eyes glinted and a look of astonishment crossed his face. "Can it be assumed, Ms. Granger that the youngest Weasley male gave you this talisman as a gift?" Laurence asked.

Mrs. Weasley made a funny little noise in the back of her throat and turned to Ron. "I didn't know that you had given it to anyone," she said, her voice sounding strange.

Ron look perplexed and he frowned. "I didn't think it mattered."

"Yes, but I don't underst--." Hermione began, ignoring Ron and Mrs. Weasley, but she was interrupted as Laurence placed the talisman on the table (he was sitting close to it) and with one swift motion brought his fist down onto it.

He raised his fist and there, the talisman's vines laid broken on the table but in the middle of the broken vines was a highly polished, perfectly round, black stone. It seemed to shine even though it was completely black. It seemed to almost be alive as it pulsated with the magic of old, it did not move but it did seem to almost vibrate. There were collective gasps around the room as the irony began to sink into everyone.

Laurence had a pleased expression on his as he smiled at Hermione, whose eyes were large and round in shock. "Ms. Granger, I believe that is what one would call irony," he said, letting out a chuckle of amusement, as she set down heavily in her chair.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry this chapter was so long in coming :(. There was a long period there where I barely wrote a thing but finally, just a week ago, I started to re-write this chapter and had it finished in a jiffy. Well, what do you think of the end, are you shocked? I'm hoping after such a long period with no updates some of you will still read and review. **

**Make sure you check my profile for important info that has been added, whihc includes a link to my blog where you can check for any updates on The Genocide. **

**Thanks to my friend and beta fanfictionsissy ;). **


	25. Discovery and Journeys

**Chapter 25: Discovery and Journeys**

Hermione's heart seemed to stop altogether as she stared unblinkingly at the black stone in front of her. It took her breath away as she took it in. Waves of unadulterated, powerful magic seemed to waft from it, curling its long tendrils of power around them. Something hidden in Hermione's mind snapped and images and waves of thoughts poured into her consciousness. They were things from her young childhood, before she ever knew she was a witch. There was a long forgotten memory from when she was just five of her dad's hand bleeding profusely from an accident with the old lawn mower; her mum coming home late at night after a dinner party when she was three and kissing her on the forehead when they had arrived home.

It was strange that not all of them were good memories, several were of her parents fighting and Hermione being scared as they yelled, others were happy memories though.

"_Tell me what you want to see…" _a voice whispered into her right ear.

"_Do you mean anything, anything at all?" _Hermione responded, her lips moving but no sound escaping them.

"_Yes," _the voice hissed.

"_Show me Ginny." _

"_As you wish." _

The memories ceased abruptly and a blurry image began to grow in her mind. It became clearer and clearer until it was like it was happening right in front of her. Ginny was sitting on an unfolded roll of bedding with her legs crossed, Indian style with her freckled chin resting on her fists. She appeared bored and tired as she apparently stared off into space. She appeared unharmed and healthy except for a white bandage wrapped around her head. Hermione could see little of her location except for a wall of earth behind her and an old faded map that was hung on that same wall. She looked away from Ginny and tried to focus on the map, but suddenly things became very blurry as she looked away from her friend. Determined to have a look at that map, Hermione kept one eye on Ginny and one on the map; that seemed to work and she could see a coast line and a large grouping of islands. One word, and one word only was visible, _Orkney_.

Hermione's mind raced with the possibilities; Ginny was safe and appeared to be relatively unharmed and she was in the country, which was the best news since the Order had believed that the Death Eaters were hiding out in Eastern Europe. Wanting to find out more Hermione started to test her new surroundings, for she had discovered she could move around. It was a strange feeling, as if she was wading through water that reached far above her head. Her senses were also heightened, she could smell the earthen cave so strongly that her whole head was filled with it. She could also feel another presence in the room besides Ginny but she could not see him or her.

Suddenly the connection ended and Hermione was torn from the image, but not before Ginny turned her eyes towards Hermione's direction. The feeling Hermione felt when the two made eye contact was instantaneous, it was almost like a spark that shot into the room and into her head. There was a yelp and a scream and Hermione knew nothing else.

Just down the coast Albert Porter was beginning to stir in his bed as bright sunshine began to pour through the bedroom window. When the man's blue eyes finally opened completely his first thought was of the note for Arthur Weasley. Feeling wide awake Albert rose out of bed and quickly dressed in his gray suit. He entered the living room and kitchen area and was surprised to see no sign of his wife.

"Helen?" he called questioningly.

"I'm in here, dear," she called back from his office.

Albert opened the door to his office and spotted Helen sitting in is chair with her slightly wrinkled face propped in her right hand.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked with raised eyebrows when he spotted the papers that she had strewn over his generally neat and tidy desk.

"Just looking more into the Weasley case."

Albert quickly forgot about his breakfast and why his wife had to make such a mess, and pulled the opposite desk chair around so that he could sit next to his wife. They were a mess and the files seemed incomplete and jumbled, like there were holes missing in this family's life.

The two had breakfast and went to work, laying aside the Weasley folders until another time. Later on that day, Albert was looking through the letter from Mr. Gossard and focused on the part about the rumored vampires. He had heard that rumor and in fact knew it was true and not just a crazy rumor. His first boss (the man had sadly passed away two years ago) had known of it and had told him that he had had some communications with them but had to break it off when they started to argue.

Biting his lip Albert thought for a moment, what had the old man told him? On the southern coast. Albert opened his desk and pulled out a map of the British Isles. He pondered it for a moment and after a bit of hard thinking decided that the Vampire's hide out was somewhere between Hastings and Dover. It wasn't far at all and one could easily make it there in a day. Maybe if he was right he could try sending the letter and hopefully it would get to them alright. Albert took out a piece of parchment, a quill, and set about to right out the letter.

_To: The Weasley family (namely Arthur Weasley) _

_Receiving Location: In the hide out of V's. somewhere between Hastings and Dover. _

_From: Robert Zain (Orkney Islands), on behalf of Ms. Ginevra Weasley (Orkney Islands), relayed by Adonis Gossard (Leeds) and Albert Porter (Dover)._

_Message (copied by Albert Porter): __Ginevra is safe, and held up in cavern on Orkney Island. Unsafe to travel, Death Eaters are about. Please relay location and information through Mr. Gossard._

_Departing Location: Dover_

Albert finished and put his quill back and took out his wand and with a few flourishes of his wand the letter was off.

* * *

Hermione stayed unconscious for nearly a day before she finally awoke. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Ron, sitting in a chair next to her bed and looking very concerned.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, as he knelt down beside her to take her hand.

"I'm okay. What happened? How long have I been asleep?"

Ron shook his head. "We don't know what happened, we were hoping you could tell us. All of a sudden you went into some kind of trance and then a minute later or so, you screamed and slumped over in your chair. You've been asleep for almost 12 hours."

Hermione sat up, and put a hand to her head, she had a terrible pounding head ache. "The stone…. It spoke to me."

"It what?" Ron asked, surprised and looking scared.

"It asked me what I wanted to see and I said I wanted to see Ginny; she was in a cavern with someone, but I couldn't see the other person, I tried but it wouldn't let me. She seemed to be alright, but she had a large bandage around her head."

Ron was speechless for a minute as he hung his head in his hands. "I don't understand, how can a stone speak? I know the stone is not your average rock and that the story behind it is amazing, but Greek Mythology? Great Gods that made man and swallowed each other? It… it's so hard to believe."

"I know Ron, I know, but it spoke to me, I heard it just as plain as day. There is something about this stone that not even Laurence knows of; he may know the story but that doesn't mean he has personal information about it," Hermione finished, her head starting to feel better.

"I don't know what to think, it's all so confusing."

"Ron, where is the stone?" Hermione asked her curiosity at an all time high, "I want to look at it."

Ron looked apprehensive, but got up from his chair and walked over to the nightstand (where the stone was sitting) anyways. He picked it up, feeling the cool smoothness of it and shivered as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. The magic was strong and Ron could feel it coiling around him and testing the magic that was inside of him. He handed it to Hermione and shook his head to clear it. She looked at it, at the same time frightened but eerily fascinated by it.

"Be careful," Ron whispered.

"I am, don't worry."

She rolled it around in the palm of her hand, it was in fact perfectly smooth and perfectly black. She was staring at it, like before but she wasn't falling into a trance but she could feel the magic coiling around her. Before, the magic had entered her, had touched her mind but this time it seemed to just lick at her skin. Was it testing her? Seeing what she would do? She took a deep breath and having decided that the stone wasn't going to do anything until she herself did something, Hermione thought the following: _Tell me what you are, speak to me. _

Hermione waited several seconds and thinking that it was not going to answer she moved to place it down upon the bed but then she heard it, the whispering in her ear. It spoke in an eerily calm voice, it was smooth and silky, like butter. It was neither male nor female but something in between, something, that when you heard it you knew it held power.

"_I am everything that you ever dreamed of; I am your hopes, your sadness, your love, and your lust. I know you better than you know yourself; I feel you, I see you, I own you and yet you own me as well. You and I are connected for I am rightfully yours and I also chose you." _

The voice stopped speaking and Hermione stared at the stone in her palm as it gave a little quiver and then was still. She sat deep in thought, it was all a paradox and to her it made little sense. Could she ask it anything and it would know instantly? Exactly how much power did it hold?

"Well?" Ron asked, anxiously.

"It… it did speak to me but it didn't make any sense, none at all."

Ron looked at the stone and then back at Hermione; confusion and out right fright written all over his freckled face.

"What did it say?"

"It told me that it was my dreams or something like that and it said we were connected that it owned me and yet I own it too," Hermione muttered, turning the stone over and over in her hand.

Ron gulped but said nothing.

"Do you think I should ask it about Ginny again, maybe I can get something more specific from it?"

Ron was clearly torn, while he was scared of the powerful, unknown stone in his girlfriend's hand he also felt a strange curiosity. "I don't know, it's up to you," he finally answered.

"Okay then," she said, determined and again she spoke to the stone. _Please tell me exactly where Ginny is. _

"_You ask so very much of me, you want me to reach into the depths of world and space, you want me to unravel the secrets that time forgot," _the stone whispered.

"_Please?" _Hermione asked, not knowing what else to say.

"_Well, since you asked so nicely… Why do you want to find your friend?" _

Hermione was taken aback. She knew the answer of course, because it was Ginny, because Ginny was a part of all of them. Ginny was her sister, her friend, and her confidant. The answer was right in front of her.

"_Because I love her, she's like my sister," _Hermione replied as she felt tears prickle the corner of her eyes.

"_I'm so glad you're smarter than the last owner I spoke to, she was a complete dung beetle. I got so sick of her, you have no idea. 'Oh powerful stone, speak to me, make him love me!' What a load of rubbish, of course that was back in the middle ages, I had hope that human beings would smarten up as time went on," _the voice mocked. "_Right then back to the task at hand, Ginny Weasley, must find Ginevra Weasley."_

Then the voice began to chant, at least Hermione thought it sounded like chanting, it wasn't in English so she could only assume. The chanting stopped and was replaced with low murmurings that Hermione could barely discern.

"_O' to the great Gods of Greece reveal to us the Witch Ginevra Weasley. I speak in the name Athena and Rhea, my creators," _whispered the voice of the stone, its voice getting steadily stronger with each word.

Then, suddenly, Hermione saw Ginny before her eyes, it was like she was right in front of her, like she could touch her. The redheaded woman was running with a big black man over uneven ground, it was like they were running from something… or somebody. They had been in a cavern before, something must have happened, something that gave away their location. Who was the black man? There was a sudden whispering again in her ear.

"_Orkney Island…"_

Hermione immediately remembered the rocky terrain of the North from visits with her parents. The area was one of the most beautiful of all of Britain. It was a fantastic place full of historical landmarks dating back to 2600 B.C. and even beyond that. How did Ginny get _there_? Suddenly more flashed through her mind. Pictures, words, and feelings whirled past her eyes at lightening speed; one would think she would miss something but she saw it all, felt it all. It was imbedded into her mind. She whimpered from the force of it all and clasped into the bed, her hands shaking as she covered her eyes, trying to keep it all out, it was all too much at once.

Ron gave a cry of fright and was at her side immediately, he tried to gently shake her back into consciousness but there was no response. Her eyes were open but there was no substance behind them, they were empty. Right when he was about to run to get help, she blinked and her eyes didn't seem quite so glassy anymore; she stirred and looked directly at him before she placed a hand on her head and gave a groan of pain.

"Are you okay, what happened?" Ron asked, great worry etched on his face.

"I… I'm not entirely certain, everything was going fine until I asked how Ginny had arrived at Orkney Island and the stone showed me _everything_. I think I asked too broad of a question."

Hermione placed the stone on the night stand and looked at it warily. "I think I'll keep far away from that thing for awhile," Hermione said, a shiver going down her spine. "But it did show me exactly where Ginny is and exactly who she's with and how she got there."

The ache in her head quickly leaving she swung her legs over to the side of bed and stood up.

"Who is Ginny with?" Ron asked, supporting Hermione as she walked over to get her robe.

"I don't know him but he does look vaguely familiar, he's a Robert Zain."

Ron looked at her and his eyes widened a little, "I know him, I was his supervisor at c-34, and I wouldn't exactly call him dependable…."

"I hope Ginny is okay," she murmured as they exited the room to tell the others.

* * *

"My Lord?"

"Yes, Yaxley?" asked the cold hard voice.

"We've found the girl and the spy; they are in a cavern on the southern most island. We are forming our ranks now."

Voldemort nodded as he tapped his long, pointed fingernails on his stone throne. "Excellent, Yaxley, excellent, is there any word from the vampires?" Voldemort said, the anger seeming to boil just under the surface of his cool tone.

"Actually, my Lord, we just received a runner from the vampires."

"Very well then Yaxley send him in."

A few moments later, after Yaxley had left, a thin, pale man entered the large circular room where Voldemort was always on his large throne. The vampire's hair was a dark auburn that had the look that it had at one time been a carrot red but had darkened throughout the centuries of the Vampire's existence.

"I do hope that you have some news for me, I am beginning to doubt your people's allegiance," Voldemort hissed, his red eyes flashing.

"My leader wishes for me to tell you that the monsters are ready to be deployed, whenever you wish to use them," the vampire drawled, its teeth yellow with decay.

Voldemort said nothing as he stood to his feet and started to pace, a grin upon his evil face. The vampire did not move as Voldemort came towards him, the evil Wizard walked slowly, like he was contemplating his next move. He stopped right in front of the vampire; they were almost nose to nose. Still the vampire did not move; he didn't even twitch.

"I must admit that your people have given me trouble that I have never expected. Tell me, runner, how did you die before you were turned?" Voldemort asked, his eyes contracting into thin slits even through he had no eye lids.

Still the creature did not move, he did not blink, he did nothing but stare back into the red eyes of fury. There was no fright upon the vampire's face and it seemed to infuriate Voldemort even more to the brink of utter and complete rage, but still Voldemort appeared calm. His eyes told differently though as they seemed to glow ever redder, like a fire awakening. After what seemed like an eternity (even though it was only a few seconds) the vampire answered.

"I was young, just 19, newly married, and my wife was pregnant. I lived in the thirteenth century."

"I do not believe that you heard my question correctly, I asked how you died, not your age at the time of your death nor if you had a go with you wife," Voldemort hissed, his tongue seeming to taste the air like a snake would; he could now taste the fear now, just a little that surrounded the vampire.

"Some thieves entered our home, my wife was killed and the bandits dragged me from my home and strung me up from a tree. I was near death when some gypsies came across my body. They untied me and carried me back to their camp, their leader was my sire," the vampire finished, his eyes showing the barest hint of emotion.

Voldemort nodded slowly and backed away from the vampire. "What a tragic, yet dramatic way to die."

"I must agree, Lord Voldemort."

Voldemort turned and gave a hiss at the creature behind him. "How dare you call me…."

The vampire cut him off with a wave of a pale hand. "I call no one but my sire, 'my Lord,' if you wish to be called such, then I recommend calling in one of your own followers," the vampire hissed, all fear gone from the creature, as his own eyes turned red with anger, his incisors growing long and pointed. "I will leave you now, _Lord Voldemort_, I have given you my leader's message and my duty had been completed. I sincerely hope that we do not meet again," he mocked, barring his fangs.

Voldemort screamed with rage and reached for his wand with lightening speed, but the vampire was far too agile and jumped to the side as the killing curse flew towards him. He gave a barking laugh as the curse hit the stone wall and stone went flying.

"I'm already dead! Do you think you can kill me _again_? I truly see now that your answer to everything is to kill."

The vampire rolled to the right as another curse came flying his way, and jumped to his feet, more lithe as any human or wizard alive. He ran towards the door, zigzagging this way and that as curses and transfigured stakes whizzed past him. His outstretched hand was on the scarred door frame when a wooden stake impaled him through the gut, but this did not stop him, just slowed him down as he continued out of the room. Voldemort had missed his heart by a mere few centimeters. With another scream of rage, Voldemort called his followers to his side and quickly dispatched them to find the vampire, but not before he told Yaxley to stay behind with him, they had something to discuss.

"Yaxley, you have failed me, I am most disappointed."

"I am terribly sorry my Lord, I had no idea that t-- the vampire was unstable," Yaxley stuttered, his eyes wide with fright.

"I do not take well to failure, Yaxley," Voldemort muttered, his slit like eyes narrowed in concentration as he tapped his wand rhythmically against his out stretched palm. "But as you know Yaxley I am a forgiving leader to my true followers, so the punishment will be quick and simple. After all you have served me faithfully for many years."

The Death Eater nodded, relief beginning to flicker over his pointed face. Voldemort turned calmly towards Yaxley and raising his wand at him he just as calmly uttered the killing curse. The Death Eater reacted very little as the curse raced towards him, his eyes just widened once more and the curse struck him. He lay, completely dead, and unmoving. Voldemort walked up to his body and stared down at him for a brief moment before walking away.

"I do not take well to failure, Yaxley, I really don't," he muttered as he exited the room.

* * *

**A/N: Eek! It's been a **_**year**_** since my last update! Sorry to everyone who might still be reading this fic. My thanks go to SaturngalA for lighting the fire again under this story and urging me to update. So, please review if you do read this chapter. Please!!!**


	26. Feel Something

**Chapter 26: ****Feel Something**

It was freezing; it was the only thing that Ginny could register as she awoke from her slumber. She was wrapped tightly in a sleeping bag but still she was cold to her very bones. She had placed a warming charm on her sleeping bag before she had drifted off to sleep, but it had apparently worn off. She shifted and tried to find a warmer spot but she was unsuccessful. The sun was just starting to peak its head over the hills when she heard a stirring next to her.

"Cold?" Zaid's gruff voice asked.

"Freezing," she muttered back, her teeth chattering.

"Why don't you use a charm?" he asked.

"I can't seem to get my fingers t-to work, they're so cold."

Zaid sat up immediately and reached for his own wand; he struggled out of his warm sleeping bag and went to her side.

"Give me your hands," he ordered.

She did as he said and stuck her freezing hands out of the sleeping bag. He took them in his own hands and began to rug them within his own, the friction causing achingly good heat.

"How did you get that scar?" Ginny asked as the feeling began to return to her fingers.

He stilled his actions for a moment and seemed to be in deep thought for a second before he answered.

"It was just before I went underground, a Death Eater caught me by surprise one night when I was out on patrols," he answered, reaching for his wand. He placed a new warming charm on her bedding and was about to move away when her voice stopped him.

"Why didn't you have it removed?"

"Because I wanted to show that I gave it to him as good as he got me," he said without hesitation.

Ginny nodded. "Thank you for everything. You know saving me and all."

"You're welcome," he whispered, his words seeming to hang in the cold morning air.

They stared at each other for a moment and in a quick movement that Ginny didn't even register, his face was suddenly near hers and then his lips were on her own. She didn't react but just laid still as his lips moved over hers. He stopped and raised his head to look down at her.

"You drive me crazy you know," he whispered.

"Don't, I can't," she said, pushing him up and away from her, suddenly feeling very warm.

Zaid didn't say anything but moved away from her without objection, his deep, dark brown eyes looking at her with want. "Sorry," he muttered, as he got all the way to his feet and walked back over to his sleeping bag; he rolled it into a tight shape and shoved it into his pack.

Ginny bit her lip and looked at him closely as he went about pulling out the pot for their morning porridge. He charmed a flame and set the pot over it. He didn't look at her for a while as he went about his duties of cleaning up their campsite, no one could know that they had ever been there.

"If we don't want the Death Eaters to catch us, we're going to have to get moving," he muttered, finally looking in her direction.

"Zaid…."

"Don't say anything, I don't want to hear it."

"Don't tell me what to do! I make my own decisions, and I'm going to do what ever the hell I want to do, so you're just going to shut up and listen," Ginny yelled, struggling out of her sleeping bag and to her feet.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart as he stared at her intently. "Look, I don't know if it's a normal thing for you to go around kissing girls that you barely know, which, if you do, you might want to stop doing that because you're going to get yourself cursed. Wait, no, that's not my point," Ginny said, frustrated as she slapped herself on the forehead.

"What I meant to say was that…. It's not that I don't want you to kiss me, wait, no; I don't want you to kiss me it's just that I don't want to hurt your feelings. I'm in love with this bloke that I've loved for ages. We've been through some rough times and I don't want to screw it up between him and me…," she finished, biting her lip again.

Ginny didn't dare look at him as she waited for him to say something, anything. It was agony waiting for Zaid to say something. Why wasn't he saying anything? She heard him breathe in deeply and then exhale sharply.

"No, I don't make a habit out a' kissing girls I don't know, and I _am_ sorry. That was a stupid thing for me to do," he finally said.

Ginny looked back at him and was relieved to see that he looked sincere. He looked towards the rising sun and then back at the red-haired beauty in front of him. Her hair was like the sun, he reflected. "We better get going," he said, realizing how late it was getting.

"Yeah, you're right," Ginny agreed.

While he finished their breakfast, Ginny put on her warmer cloak and rolled up her sleeping bag and put it in her pack, just like he had. Zaid scooped the oatmeal into bowls so that they could eat on the go and they lifted their packs onto their shoulders and they started to walk towards the coast. They had tried to apparate out but they were unsuccessful, Voldemort must have placed a charm on the island so that they could not leave the island that easily.

They walked along in silence, both of them in deep thought. Zaid knew that he was supposed to forget about what had happened, that they weren't supposed to speak of it again, but he wasn't sure if he could forget the feel of her lips against his that easily.

* * *

Harry felt very much like he was floating. In the very back of his mind he figured he was sleeping, but it didn't feel like sleeping. He felt like he was in water, like he was floating in the middle of a large lake, and yet he wasn't at all wet. He tried to move around but he couldn't move. Now that Harry had decided he was in fact in water, he suddenly couldn't breathe; it felt like there was something pressing into his chest, constricting his lungs. Why was this happening to him? It had turned from a very weird dream into a nightmare. Right when he was sure he was going to die from the lack of oxygen, he awoke.

Now able to take in breaths, Harry gulped for air. When his head finally stopped spinning he sat up and looked around at the darkness, the candle he had lit had apparently gone out. He had just swung his legs over the side of the bed when his door opened. It was Ron and he had a grin on his face. The first thing that popped into Harry's mind was, _Ginny_….

"You found Ginny!" Harry cried out as he got to his feet to pull on his shirt.

Ron looked surprised for a moment but he quickly recovered. "Yeah, how did you know?"

"You looked happy," Harry said simply as he pulled on his shoes. "Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She's up above Scotland, on one of the Orkney Islands. Right now Hermione thinks she's okay but it looks like they're on the run," Ron confirmed, moving aside as Harry walked out of the room.

Harry looked puzzled for a moment and turned back towards his best friend. "So Hermione found her?"

"Oh that's right you don't know, I forgot. Hermione can speak to that stone thing. It's like all knowing."

Harry's mouth dropped open in shock for a second before he remembered about Ginny. "Okay, you're going to have to tell me everything that happened when we get back. Exactly how much of the interesting stuff do I not know?" Harry asked.

"You know most of the stuff."

"For Merlin's sake you two, we know where Ginny is, we're all ready to go and you two are talking about nonsense," Hermione admonished, her hands on her hips.

"Come on you lot let's go!" George cried as Mrs. Weasley practically bounded out the door in excitement.

The rest of the group filed out of the door in turn, with Mr. Weasley in the back of the group as he wrote a quick note to the Laurence and the rest of the vampires. The group tip-toed quietly out of the hidden cave being careful not to wake the sleeping vampires as they left. When they emerged outside they each took a deep breath of the clean fresh air.

"I hope we never have to back there," Remus said to no one in particular as he looked back towards the cave entrance.

"They were nice enough to take us in, if it hadn't been for them, I can't help but wonder if we wouldn't be dead right now," Mr. Weasley reminded him gently.

Remus nodded. "That is true, they just gave me the creeps."

They stopped once it was decided that they were far enough away from the vampire's lair and began to formulate their plan.

"Hermione, you know what's going on here better than the rest of us. What do you think we should do?" Mr. Weasley asked, gesturing towards the pouch around her neck.

Hermione thought for a moment and tried to think of everything she had seen. "Whatever we do, we're going to have to do it fast. She was running from something and eventually they will get caught. I also can't help but think that they can't apparate; they had wands so the only thing that I can assume is that there is an anti-apparation charm on the island."

"Do you know what island they're on?" McGonagall asked.

Hermione's face screwed up in concentration as she tried to remember everything, it was all starting to fade. She closed her eyes and an image came to her mind, it was hazy but she could just make out the coast of Scotland in the distance. Whatever island Ginny was on, it was close to the coast of Scotland.

"Does anyone have a map?" she asked, opening her eyes.

Tonks rummaged around in her pack for a moment and took out a very small bundle of papers. She enlarged them and then handed them to Hermione. She opened them and started to flip through them; there were several maps, most of them of the British Isles, with full sized maps of England, Wales, and Scotland. On the maps of Scotland, the Islands of Orkney were either too small to see any real detail or they had been cutoff at the top. It was near the back that Hermione finally found a full sized map of Orkney. It went into great detail and showed all of the little villages throughout the many islands that make up Orkney. It also showed the tourist attractions throughout Orkney and the historical sites there.

Hermione laid the map on a nearby rock and pointed out the most southern island. "I think it's likely that they're here. The coast of Scotland is just right there and I most definitely saw the coast of Scotland."

"If we can't apparate to that island, I think we should go to the closest spot that we can," Harry noted, pointing to the tip of Scotland that was visible on the map; there was a little town by the name of John o'Groats there.

"I think then that is our plan. We'll go ahead and apparate in groups of two, that way if we get separated, we will still have the other person," Remus said.

"Then let's stop dawdling and get going," Moody grunted, retrieving his wand out of its holster. "Who's goin' to apparate with me? Come on now you lot we don't have all day."

McGonagall agreed to apparate first with Mad-Eye, and then Tonks apparated with both Remus, Neville and his daughter, Molly apparated with Arthur, Andrea apparated with George, and Hermione, Ron, and Harry apparated together. The trio landed hard on their feet in a grassy field with the wind blowing hard. In the distance they could see a mass of dark gray clouds coming in their direction.

"I wonder where the others are?" Hermione yelled above the gale force winds.

"I don't know, but let's get inside somewhere before we drown out here" Ron responded, as it started to lightly rain.

With Harry running between them they made it to the edge of the green field and looked out towards the open sea. The waves were high and choppy and crashing against the beach with great force.

"Where's the town?" Harry wondered aloud.

"There," Hermione cried, gesturing towards the North West, "I think I see a steeple of a church, let's apparate closer."

After Ron and Harry had seen it as well, they grasped each others arms and apparated. They appeared just a second later at the back of the church so that they would not be detected by any passing muggle. They looked around and were glad to see that they were in fact in a small town, it _was_ John o'Groats. Thankful that they were already in muggle cloths under their traveling cloaks they rushed towards an open café across from them. The door opened with a tinkling of a bell and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief when she saw George, Andrea, Remus, Neville, and Tonks at a nearby table, they were all sipping hot cups of coffee.

Hermione, Ron, and Harry hurried over to their table and sat down with everyone else. The waitress came over and the three ordered coffees and for breakfast eggs and sausages.

"What happened to you three?" Andrea asked, as she took a sip of her too-hot coffee.

"We arrived in a field about a mile away from here, thankfully we could see the steeple from that church across the way," Hermione answered, gesturing towards the church. "What about you?"

George grinned and leaned in closer to the group. "We accidentally apparated in to some poor bloke's house, right into his bedroom. You should have heard the screaming when we got there."

"You scared them that badly? I hope you didn't rouse too much attention," Hermione scolded, arms folded.

"No, no you've got it all wrong, they we're already screaming when we got there. The bloke was having a go with his girlfriends," George chuckled and added at the look on Harry's face, "yeah, there were two girls with 'im."

"Did they even notice you?" Tonks asked.

"Nope, they were so engrossed in each other that they didn't even notice, we just walked right out of his front door. But you should have seen the tits on one of 'em, they were..."

"Woah! Hold it right there buster, I don't want to know anything about the girl's tits, thank you very much," Tonks interrupted, holding up a hand to stop him.

Remus laughed and almost choked on his coffee and had to have his back slapped by Tonks when he could barely take in a breath. The waitress came with the food and George was taking his first bite when he spotted his parents across the street. He swallowed and walked out onto the pavement to wave them over. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat down at one of the adjoining tables and ordered breakfast like the rest. They were now just waiting for Moody and McGonagall. While they waited for them, they started to talk about their options.

"This weather is both good and bad, while the town is nearly empty with no tourists, except for the residents of course, we won't be able to get a ferry from here to Orkney," Remus noted, as he took a bite of sausage. "If this weather lasts much longer we may have to wait a day or two for a ferry."

"Yes, you're right Remus but there must be another option," Mrs. Weasley said, anxious to have her daughter safe and sound.

"Don't worry Molly, we'll find another way," Remus assured her, lapsing into silence as he began to throw ideas around in his head.

Harry too was anxious and was grappling for a solution when he looked out the window and saw Mad-Eye and McGonagall coming down the walk towards them. "Hey look there they are."

Mr. Weasley waved them in and they too ordered breakfast. There were now several other patrons in the little café and they had to keep there voices down even more so that they would not be over heard.

"Perhaps we could fly over there…" Andrea suggested, her breakfast finished in front of her and her cup empty.

"No brooms," Ron answered, "and besides, only the best flyer would be able to fly in this weather," he added first gesturing towards Harry and then out the window.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know about that, even if we had a broom to fly over there, I haven't flown anything in almost six years, I'd probably fall off into the sea before I even got there."

"I doubt that," Hermione added, her mind going back to that day in their first year when Harry first rode a broom, "you are a natural on a broom Harry and we all know it. Besides we don't have a broom so that discussion is nil."

"What ever we do, we'll have to leave this café sooner or later and brave the rain. We should find a nice inn and stay there until we figure out what to do," Neville said as his daughter fell asleep against him.

They agreed and left the little café after they paid the tab. They settled down in a nice tourist inn two streets over and changed out of their still damp clothes into dry ones. Everyone was restless, not quite knowing what do with themselves when Ginny was out there and they hadn't figured out what to do about it. Hermione couldn't help but think that the longer the storm lasted, the closer they were getting to losing Ginny.

* * *

For Zaid and Ginny the storm started suddenly. At first they just trudged through the light rain but then the wind started and it started to pour. Zaid cursed their terrible luck and pitched up a tent on the side of a large grassy hill. The hill had a large flat, stony area near the middle where they could be out of the wind a little bit, but that didn't do anything about the rain. Once Zaid got the tent up he placed protection charms around it and he also rain-proofed it for good measure. The tent appeared tiny from the outside but inside it was the size of a 12 foot room.

"If you had this tent all along then why did we rough it outside last night?" Ginny asked, pleased to see that it was a wizarding tent.

"The tent's too noticeable out in the open."

Ginny nodded but said nothing as she sat her heavy pack down near the full sized bed. There was only one bed…. That could be awkward, Ginny realized. But all of her questions were answered when he pulled his sleeping bag out of his own pack and placed it at the end of the bed.

"You can take the bed and I'll take the floor," he told her simply.

"Don't be silly," Ginny responded, "you can take the bed and I can sleep on the floor."

Zaid snorted and turned around to look at her. "Now you're the one just being silly, like I'm going to let you sleep on the floor when there's a bed."

Ginny rolled her eyes at him and picking up her pack again she opened it and took out her own sleeping bag.

"Are you always this stubborn?" he asked. "You are sleeping on the bed and that's all there is to it; I will sleep on the floor. Put away your sleeping bag."

"No."

Zaid groaned and stalked towards her. "You're so frustrating. Look for most people this would be so simple, the woman takes the bed."

"Aha! Now we're bringing gender into the discussion into it? So just because I'm a woman I'm above sleeping on the floor, like a man. Is that it? A woman can do anything a man can do," she stated proudly, unrolling her sleeping bag and placing it on he side of the bed.

Zaid groaned again and moved to take the sleeping bag from her but she blocked him with her body. He took a deep breath and said as calmly as possible, "okay, for one thing, gender is always into _it, _but this is about the _code_."

"The code? So you have a code now?"

"Yes, the code. You know, people should help old ladies cross the street, say your pleases and thank-yous, don't ask a woman her age, and you always give the woman the bed!"

"But what if the woman thinks the man should have the bed. After all you did save my life," Ginny reminded him.

"Me saving your life is irrelevant right now."

"No, I think it's perfectly relevant."

Zaid looked like he was on the verge of throwing something breakable and if Ginny hadn't been so involved with their little argument she would have found the look on his face very comical.

"Look if you don't take the bed, I'm going to sleep on the floor anyways," Zaid said, hoping he would be triumphant.

"Well… if you're going to be this dense about something so simple then we're going to have to come to a compromise. How about I take one side of the bed and you take the other side of the bed? It's plenty big enough for both of us," Ginny said, hands on her hips.

This stopped Zaid dead in his tracks. This opened up new possibilities where he did not want to go. He grappled for another solution. "Fine then, what ever you want, but we may not even need the bed; I'm hoping the storm stops soon. How long can it last anyways?"

But the storm did not stop and two hours later it was still building in intensity. They were both so bored that Ginny's eyes were starting to droop and already she had dosed off once or twice in her chair. Zaid would look her way every once in awhile and he had seen how sleepy she was.

"It doesn't look like this storm is going to let up anytime soon, why don't you go take a nap?" he suggested.

Ginny nodded sleepily and stumbled to the bed. She laid down and pulled the covers up and then over herself. She was asleep almost instantly. It was an hour later when she was awoken suddenly by the shifting bed, he had sat down upon it and now all Ginny could hear was rustling. The storm was still raging outside with such force that Ginny could feel the electricity in the air. Apparently it was going to be awhile before it abated.

She felt more than heard him take off his shoes and lay down next to her, he pulled the blanket gently over himself, apparently trying not to wake her. Ginny stayed silent and still. She could feel his presence next to her and it put her slightly on edge; her mind couldn't help but go back to when he had kissed her. Questions swirled about in her mind. Why had he kissed her? He had said that she drove him crazy, what did he mean exactly? Did he want her as badly as she thought he did? If she was honest with herself she wanted him too, the lust in her was strong, if the ache between her legs was any indication.

They both lay still for several minutes, Ginny still pretending to be asleep and Zaid trying to get some rest. He could feel the warmth from her side of the bed and it was driving him crazy. They were only inches apart from each other, he could touch her if she'd let him, he could just imagine the smoothness of her leg under his hand and the roundedness of her hip. Thinking about her was putting him on the brink of losing his mind, he realized, and now he was achingly hard. Or would he make love to her soft and slow? He wondered.

If he didn't get out of this bed soon he'd do something he'd really regret later on. He had sat up and was about to swing his legs over to stand up when he felt her hand on his arm. Her touch felt like an arousing jolt of electricity and he took a deep a shuttering breath as he tried to calm his raging heart.

"I… I didn't know you were awake," he muttered, looking her way.

"I've been awake since you came to bed. I need to ask you something though, why did you kiss me earlier?" she whispered in the darkness, her hand still on his arm.

Zaid's mind reeled. Why was she asking him this? And more importantly why _had _he kissed her. Even he hadn't known. Was it because the idea had simply occurred to him? Because she was the most beautiful woman he had seen in years. Even through everything she had seen and had to endure she still seemed pure and innocent. He had seen what she had seen at the hands of the Death Eaters, the horrific things that the Vampires did to create Voldemort's ultimate monsters. He still felt sick when he thought of the things he had seen, the things they had made him do.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, shrugging as he turned away from her, scared that she would see how close his emotions were to the surface.

"Please tell me."

If he let himself, he could find the answer; he could find the answer in her kiss. "Because I wanted to feel something, something that's real, and something that proves to me I'm still alive," he finally answered, wondering exactly how corny it sounded to her ears.

She was silent until he heard her move towards the middle of the bed, towards him. Her hand moved from his arm to his shoulder and she gently urged him to turn back around.

"Kiss me again," she whispered her face only inches from his own. When he made no move towards her she added, "please."

He raised his hand and touched her cheek, it was wet with tears. Apparently she hadn't thought it was corny. His fingers trailed into her soft red hair and leaned into him even closer. Then they kissed. Ginny moaned as he gently sucked on her bottom lip and then sought entrance into her mouth when he ran his tongue across her plump bottom lip. They broke the kiss so that they could take a breath and then he went to her neck, first raining kisses down her jaw line before he went to the pulse point on her neck. Ginny lay down and then pulled him with her and he went back to kissing her hungrily, their tongues dueling as they explored each other. Her hands ran down his back and his muscled arms, feeling them bunch under her touch. His hands were all over, trailing through her long hair, trailing down the sides of her tummy and then to her hips, and to her covered breasts.

"Too many clothes," Ginny gasped when he shifted and she could feel his erection against her hip.

They lay together afterwards, their chests rising and falling rapidly as they gasped for breath.

"Thank you," he heard her whisper softly as her head settled on his chest.

He honestly didn't know what to say to her, a 'you're welcome,' seemed odd after what they had just did, so he pulled her closer to him and gave her one last kiss.

"Robert?" she whispered, her heart beat starting to slow down.

"What?" he asked, shifting so that he could see her better.

"I never want this to be a regret, but I never want anybody else to know…."

He understood without having to be told that it was just going to be that one time. While he could have her body for that single time, her heart would always lie with another man, it could never be his. Sadness filled him for a moment but then remembered that she hadn't been with him out of pity, it had been a mutual need; a need to be reminded that there was more than evil in the world, that there was something more basic. He had fallen so in love with her, that it was the most unconditional love that he had ever felt or known. He could never cause her pain, he could never cause her emotional hurt, not without splitting his own heart in two.

"Is this guy good for you? Does he treat you right?" he asked, trying to hide exactly how much he loved her from showing in his gaze.

"Yes," she replied honestly.

"All right then," was the only thing he said as he pulled the blanket over them and they both drifted off to sleep, the storm still raging outside. If he couldn't have her forever, then those few hours would be the sweetest he had ever known.

* * *

**A/N: It's hard to know what exactly to say about this chapter, it was a hard one to write in many ways, but at the same time I am going to have to say it was the most fun to write. It was hard to write because I had been planning something between Zaid and Ginny all along but I didn't know how far I wanted to take it until I started writing this chapter. The big Harry/Ginny shipper in me was hesitant but the writer part was so excited I took the Zaid/Ginny thing as far as it could go. **

**Before I have a few H/G shippers have fits: Ginny will always love Harry, Ginny will never leave Harry, and the thing with Zaid was a one time thing, it's not going to happen again. If you don't understand why she did what she did, I did write the reason: "she hadn't been with him out of pity, it had been a mutual need; a need to be reminded that there was more than evil in the world, that there was something more basic." More will be revealed a little later. If you have any questions, just ask. ;) **

**Please review! **


	27. The Ring o’ Brodgar

**Chapter 27: The Ring o' Brodgar**

Ginny woke up the next morning, around dawn, and for a moment she could not understand why there was so much silence and then she realized that the storm had stopped. There was no more rain, no more thunder, and the wind had ceased into a soft breeze. Inside the tent it was dark and she was having trouble seeing even a few feet in front of her. But there was one thing she did know, the man she had been with last night was no longer beside her. The spot where he had once lain was cold and the blanket had been pulled up, apparently he had not been there for awhile. Ginny got out of bed and gathered up her scattered clothes before heading towards the small loo that had been tucked into the left side corner of the tent. She closed the door behind her and put her clothes down on the counter. She looked up at herself in the mirror and just stared at herself for a moment. Love bites covered her neck and there were a few scattered ones across her breasts and on her hips there were faint bruises from where he had clutched her mid sex.

She picked up her wand and healed the various marks on her body before she put on clean clothes from her pack. It looked like nothing had happened but she knew what had happened, what nobody could ever know, especially Harry. There was a tiny feeling of regret inside of her, somewhere deep inside her soul, but she pushed it away. Zaid had needed her, and she had needed him just as much. She didn't love him, and she didn't have a crush on him like she would have had if she had been a girl, instead she felt a strong connection to him. Was it because he had saved her life? Or because they had been through something horrendous together? Ginny didn't know.

The sound of the tent flap opening and his heavy footsteps against the wood floor of the tent knocked her out of her reverie. Relief flooded through her, in the very back of her mind she had been worried that he had left her there alone.

"Ginny?" she heard him call.

"I'm in the bathroom, I'll be out in a second," she called back, hoping her voice didn't betray her nervousness.

She quickly fixed her torn shirt with a charm and stuffed it into her pack with her other clothes from last night. Ginny then threw on clean clothes; she fixed her messy hair and pulled the long locks back into a ponytail so that it wouldn't get in the way. Ginny was now as ready as she would ever be to face him. She opened the loo door and saw him sitting at the end of the bed, his hands clasped together tightly. He was wearing a pair of black denim trousers and a white cotton shirt; he looked up to meet her gaze.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hey," he replied, his face unreadable as he gave her a half-hearted smile. "I've been out scouting, we're only about a half-an-hour walk from the coast. I figure once we get there I'm hoping that we can catch the ferry as it passes or maybe if we can't do that then another boat."

"That's great," Ginny said, "It'll be great to be back with my family."

Zaid only nodded. They packed up the tent, slung their packs over their backs, and ate a quick breakfast before they started off. While they walked, Ginny was trying not to think about the awkwardness between herself and Zaid, instead she was focusing on Harry and her family. For him though it was a completely different story. He couldn't help but think of her, everything about her. The sooner that she was out of his life the better it would be for the both of them, he had decided. The walked on and 20 minutes later they were able to see the sea from the cliff that they were on.

"How do we get down?" Ginny asked as she looked down at the beach.

"That's a good question, let's take a look around, there might be a trail somewhere," he suggested as he started off in one direction and she in the other.

Ginny had only been walking for a few minutes when she felt the earth shake beneath her feet and then she was falling. Thinking fast, she managed to grab a hold of the newly revealed rock as the soil and rock she had just been walking on fell away. She tried pulling herself back up but her pack was too heavy and she couldn't.

"Help!" she screamed, hoping that Zaid could still hear her.

He had just found a trail leading down and was about to go find her when he heard her screams. His heart leaping into his throat he threw his pack to the ground and ran as fast as his legs could carry to him to where he had thought her screams had come from. Her screams growing in intensity, he ran faster. His heart racing and his lungs burning he almost missed the bit of the cliff that was missing. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked over the cliff, relief flooding through him when he saw her still holding on.

"Well, it took you long enough," she stated, half jokingly, half crossly as she looked up at him.

He barked out a nervous laugh and laid flat on his stomach, grasping her hands in his own as she let her get a good hold, and he was about to start pulling her up when he heard someone laugh behind him.

"Well, well, well isn't this interesting," Seamus Finnegan said behind him, looking quite pleased with himself and surrounding him were about 13 other Death Eaters, all of them had the same sinister grin on their faces.

It was then that Zaid realized that they had fallen into a trap, he couldn't pull Ginny up without the Death Eaters killing them both. They could do nothing while they were in this position.

"You fools make my job too easy," Seamus added pulling out his wand and pointing it at Zaid. "I wonder what would happen, Ginny if I just flicked my wand and _crucioed _him. Do you think he'd be able to hold on through the pain or would you fall to your death? _SPLAT!_ Just like that," he laughed his wand rising ever higher. "Should we see if he can?"

Ginny's heart quickened even more as the Death Eaters laughed above them. Her eyes scanned their surroundings, trying to find anything that could save them, anything. She found nothing. She looked back above her and saw Zaid looking strait at her and he mouthed _"I'll never let go."_ The chattering and laughing above them stopped and there was silence for a moment, Ginny couldn't see what was happening, but she could feel Zaid's grip on her getting tighter, she could see his eyes clenching shut.

"_Crucio!"_

Zaid screamed with everything he had but he did not lessen his grip, but instead it tightened. Ginny could do nothing and it was tearing her up inside. Tears began to role down her cheeks as she began to scream along with him, hatred like no other filling her, she had never been so angry. Seamus lifted the curse and looked over the edge of the cliff to see if Ginny was still there, shock was written clearly all over his face when he saw her still there.

"She's still there!" Seamus announced to the others, pointing down towards her. "Impressive Zaid, impressive, I always knew you were made out of tough stuff, but can you withstand the _imperious_ curse?"

Zaid opened his bloodshot eyes and looked in Ginny's own light brown eyes; even he didn't know how much more he could take. Ginny saw red and exploded.

"When I get up there Seamus Finnegan, I swear I'm going to make you wish you were never born! I'm going to rip you another fucking hole and then I'm going to kill you for everything you have ever done to my family, for what you did to Lavender," Ginny screamed, her face red with anger.

Seamus roared with anger and looked back down at her, his face contorted with such hatred that it appeared to be a different face entirely.

"What do you say to a duel, Finnegan? Are you man enough?" Ginny hissed at him.

"Lift her up, NOW!" Seamus bellowed to Zaid, kicking him in the side.

Zaid grunted from the kick but lifted her up, shaking his head ever so slightly, telling her no, don't. He had never seen her duel, didn't know if she had it in her. Once Ginny was back up and on solid ground she whipped out her wand and pointed it strait at him, ready for anything as they fired magic ropes at Zaid, tying him at his hands and feet.

"Well, what do you say Finnegan, do we duel?" she hissed as he answered with a curse.

Then it started, they were a mass of swirling color as they dueled, circling around each other as they fired curse after curse. Ginny got past his defenses first with a well placed cutting curse to the upper chest and he staggered back a little, a look of shock on his face. But he was able to block her next curse and they continued on.

It was now faster and more furious but still Ginny hadn't been hit, Seamus didn't have her quidditch reflexes and he had far more bulk then she did. Ginny was so engrossed in their duel that she barely caught the three figures on brooms whiz past them and come to screeching halt behind Seamus. The other Death Eaters closed in and joined the chaos that ensued as George, Ron, and Harry joined the fight. But still Ginny dueled with Seamus, her mind only on him as she broke through his defenses again with three more cutting curses in quick succession. Now on his chest was a perfect 'W'. His robes were red with blood. It was time for this to be finished, Ginny decided and began to push him closer to the cliff's edge with curse after curse. His reflexes had slowed considerably and he was no longer shielding himself as well, so most of Ginny's curses got through. Now just a hair's width from teetering over the edge, Ginny fired one last curse at him and it hit him full in the chest. He fell backwards and he plummeted over the edge, his face staring up at her as she watched him fall to his death.

"I always keep my promises, Finnegan," Ginny muttered and turned back towards the fight, quickly scanning the situation.

Ron was dueling with several Death Eaters at once and already there was a deep gash near his hair line. Harry was dueling a few more Death Eaters but for now he appeared unharmed. George was behind Harry, almost back to back as he too dueled, he appeared unharmed except for a slight limp, and Zaid had apparently freed himself and had joined the fight with vigor. Even though there were already three or four Death Eaters dead or unconscious on the ground, they were outnumbered greatly. It would be hard to win this one. Seconds later she saw Harry take a hit and stagger backwards, spitting blood out of his mouth. Ginny then joined the fight with a war like cry and pounced like a cat as she took down her second Death Eater that day.

With adrenaline pumping through her veins, she started dueling with Dolohov and a young Death Eater she had never seen. She was able to stun the younger Death Eater easily enough when one of Ron's stray cutting curses hit Dolohov, distracting him just enough so she could curse the other. Dolohov recovered quickly though and fired a curse her way, Ginny wasn't fast enough to put up a block and it hit her square in the chest. She felt and heard one of her ribs crack and she was blown backwards by the force of the spell; she flipped end over end and landed with a thud. She groaned and tried to sit up but she couldn't find the breath to do it. Dolohov was stalking towards her now, a triumphant gleam in his eye as he gazed upon his prey.

Ginny's wand was gone from her hand, it was lying about five feet to the right of her. Dolohov stopped at her feet and grinned down at her, his teeth (rather creepily) were perfectly white and strait.

"How does it feel, Ms. Weasley to be at my mercy?" he asked mockingly, his wand still trained upon her.

"Piss off," she hissed, scurrying away from him, her chest aching with every breath she took.

"You're not getting away that easily," he said, bending down and grabbing her by the feet to drag her back towards him.

She felt her shirt rip beneath her and the skin of her back be shredded off against the jagged rocks and she screamed out in pain. Ginny could feel the warm stickiness of her blood against the cold rocks and she felt suddenly very sick. She kicked at him in vain as he straddled her stomach; she was now trapped beneath him.

"Get off me!" she yelled, as he pulled a knife from the holster around his waste.

With a few quick movements he cut her shirt wide open in the front and pulled it away from her, staring down at the soft skin of her abdomen. He did not bother removing her bra but instead softly ran the knife across her stomach, barely cutting her but making a few beads of blood appear. She screamed as loud as she could and kept on screaming, wondering where everyone had gone. Where were her brothers, where was Harry, and where was Zaid? How far had she been blown back by Dolohov's curse? He was able to make one more cut, this one a bit deeper, before he was blasted off of her by a curse from the left. He too followed the same rout as Finnegan and fell of the cliff to his messy death.

Ginny was very dizzy and lightheaded and everything around her was blurry as she looked around for her savior. She was about to fall into the blackness when Harry's scared face came into focus.

"Oh shit, Ginny, you're going to be okay," he muttered as he quickly fixed the cuts on her stomach and the skin on her back but he couldn't do anything for the large bruise forming on her left side, she was now starting to cough up blood and she fell into unconsciousness.

The others ran over to Harry as the few remaining Death Eaters retreated, going back to their master, dreading to tell him that they had failed _again_. Zaid reached Harry first and quickly inspected the situation, he placed a large hand on the growing bruise on her side and held it there for a moment.

"I don't know how to fix internal bleeding," Harry said, "nothing I do works."

Zaid pulled his hand from her side and quickly stood to his feet. "She's going to drown in her own blood if we don't work fast, I'll be right back," he stated as he ran the other way.

Ron and George got to her side just as Zaid was returning with two vials of potion (which he had retrieved from his forgotten pack) in his hand. He knelt back down beside her and told Ron and George to lift her up a little so that he could get the potion down her throat. With Ron and George supporting her back and Harry supporting her head, Zaid tipped the first vial to her lips.

"Come one Ginny open your eyes, I need you to wake up so you can drink this," Zaid pleaded, his heart racing inside of his chest.

"_Enervate_," Harry said, flicking his wand towards her.

Thankfully she opened her eyes and looked at all of them confusedly. Before she could drop back off, Zaid dumped the contents of the vial down her throat. Ginny gagged a little but was able to swallow it, a look of disgust on her face at the taste. They all waited impatiently for the potion to take affect and when it finally did they all let out the breaths that they hadn't known they had been holding.

"How do you feel?" Ron asked her as Zaid uncorked the other vial.

"Better," she croaked out.

Ziad forced the other vial of potion down her throat and she immediately passed out, slumping against Ron and George. Harry cried out in alarm and turned to look at Zaid, his wand out as he pointed it at him.

"Woah!" Zaid yelled, throwing his hands up into the air. "I just gave her something to fix her rib and the hole in her lung, and the last one was a blood replenishing potion laced with a sleeping drought. If she doesn't sleep then the potion can't take full affect," Zaid said, his fingers itching for his own wand, but he stayed still with his hands in the air.

"Sorry," Harry muttered embarrassedly, his wand lowering.

Zaid pulled a blanket out of his pack and quickly wrapped it around her, covering up her chest, which was bare except for her bra, against the cold. He moved to pick her up but Harry did it before him, lifting her up into his arms so that she was nestled against his chest. No one had noticed Zaid making the move to pick her up. He had been so engrossed in the battle that he hadn't noticed who the black haired bloke with Ron and George had been, _Harry Potter_. Ginny's boyfriend was _the _Harry Potter. She had failed to mention that.

"_Don't think about it right now," _Zaid ordered himself as they moved towards the three discarded brooms.

Harry was the first one to leave the ground and soar into the air (Ginny still in his arms), followed by Ron and Zaid, and then George brought up the rear. The little island began to disappear behind them and the mainland started to appear behind the fog.

* * *

On the main island of Orkney lies a Bronze Age stone ring. Around the world it is known as the Ring of Brodgar. The stone ring was built in a true circle, 104 metres wide, and originally contained 60 megaliths. Today, only 27 of these stones remain. Like the even better known ring, Stonehenge, mystery surrounds it as to how it was created. Muggles wonder how such primitive people could create such huge, intricate monuments and the answer lies not in their heads but in stones themselves. Like muggles not even Wizards know how the monument was created or for what purpose but the magical community does know of the magical power of the ring. They've tried tapping into it for years but have always been unsuccessful. People have disappeared around the stones and items unexplainably lost.

The ancient Wizards of old though did know the power and could sometimes on the full moon tap into the power. A few became so power hungry that they started to change. They became immortal and animalistic, growing fangs as they took more power from the rings; they were high with the power that they held over mortals. Then as their power became overwhelming the creator that they had come to believe in, Rhea, mother of the Greek gods, suddenly took away much of their power, leaving them with only a curse. The curse was a terrible punishment for what they had done to others, now they could be killed by the mere touch of sun against their skin. They could no longer feel love or loyalty, just anger, lust, and hunger for blood. They became known through the years as vampires, creatures that went bump in the night. Even though Rhea set such a terrible curse upon the vampires they still loved her like a mother and yet feared her at the same time. The vampires were the root of all evil upon the world.

Many sought to rid the world of this evil and many died trying or others were simply lost. The Greek Goddess Athena was one such being and worked to rid the world of evil. She tried but failed, but she had come close. Even though as a goddess she was immortal and could not die she disappeared and was lost to myth. A few of those that believed in the myth have searched for Athena, looking to finish what she had began but no one found her.

Evils have appeared throughout the centuries since Athena's disappearance but none so terrible as the Wizard Tom Riddle. Athena holds the answers when it comes to vanquishing this new evil but she does not hold the potential nor the power to kill the evil; that lies with the Wizard Harry Potter alone.

* * *

Ginny woke up in a nice comfy bed, wrapped in blankets and her head against a soft pillow. She was so comfortable in fact that she didn't even care that she didn't know where she was or how she had gotten there. She was in sweet bliss. It was only when she felt someone watching her that she cracked an eye open, wondering who it was. She jumped a little when she realized that her entire family and most of the Order (including Zaid) were watching her intently.

"Oh, thank heaven's you're awake, you had us so worried!" her mum cried, bursting out into fresh tears as she gave her daughter a fierce hug.

It was then that a few things began to fall into place: Orkney, Death Eaters, and Finnegan. She had to admit that she felt a bit of pleasure at the thought of him lying at the bottom of a cliff.

"What happened, and where are we?" Ginny asked, struggling to sit up as she noticed the strange stiffness in her chest for the first time.

They quickly told her what had happened to the rest of them when she had been captured and then Zaid filled her in on what had happened with Dolohov and her injuries. Harry told her about their flight to Orkney and how they had been able to procure brooms from a batty old Wizard who ran a muggle Antigue shop in town. Hermione told her about the stone and how it could speak to her. Ginny was as shocked as she could be at this one and asked to see the stone. Hermione pulled it off the chain that was around her neck and gave it her.

It did not affect Ginny like it affected Hermione but she could feel the power coming off of it in waves. She shivered and handed it back to Hermione.

"Has it spoken to you any more?" Ginny asked her, gesturing to the stone.

"No…. I haven't asked it anything more but sometimes it'll make a sarcastic comment or two. Strangely it has a sense of humor, it thinks it's actually quite clever," Hermione answered, shrugging at her.

"Are you hungry?" Molly asked her.

Ginny replied that she was and Mrs. Weasley bustled off to order her something from the inn's kitchen. The rest scattered except for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and George who stayed back to rain praise upon her for her defeat of Finnegan. Zaid also stayed behind but he was lingering near the back of the room, looking awkward. Ginny gestured him over quickly, her heart pained at the sight of his hesitation. He pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down.

"So, what exactly happened to you two when the Death Eaters came? Zaid really wouldn't tell us everything. Of course we were in such a muddle over you that it was absolute chaos, nobody cared too much at that point," Hermione asked.

So Ginny explained what had happened on the cliff in great detail. They all gasped in the right places and when she came to the part about her hanging off the cliff, holding onto Zaid as Finnegan used the Cruciatus curse on him. Harry, at this point, thanked him over and over again and shook his hand enthusiastically, Zaid feeling very uncomfortable. Mrs. Weasley came in then with Ginny's breakfast on a tray and all but Harry left.

Zaid walked out of Ginny's room, explaining that he felt like he needed some fresh air. Ginny watched him go as she took the first bite of egg from her plate. He nearly fled from the inn in his haste to get away. His footsteps were quick on the pavement as he made his way down to the beach. The sky was partly cloudy with the remnants of the storm still hanging around in the form of patchy gray clouds. The air was bitterly cold with the threat of winter just around the corner and Zaid was thankful that he had thought to grab his jacket before going out. He stared at the waves of the ocean and was lost in his own thoughts. Part of him felt like leaving the Weasley's, it was hard to face the smiling family and Ginny. It was even harder to be around the smiling face of Harry Potter when all he felt like doing was hitting him.

The thought had crossed his mind that even if he would dare, he could never compete for the affections of Ginny. Potter was so much more than he was that he had no hope, Zaid thought as the waves crashed. But he also felt like he couldn't leave, something was tugging him to these people, but he couldn't figure out what it was. The moment they had brought Ginny back to the inn and she had been put to bed, Mrs. Weasley had started fussing over her sons and Harry, but she also fussed over Zaid too; exclaiming over the soaked state of his clothes and the holes in his socks. Could he leave? He tried to figure that out as he made his way back to the inn, the cold air seeming to have cleared his head.

Back at the inn, while Ginny ate, Hermione had returned to the room that she shared with Tonks, Minerva, and Andrea. She laid down on the bed that was hers and pulled the blanket over herself, feeling like she could use a nap. Before she dosed off she touched the stone that hung from her neck. It vibrated but did nothing else. She fell immediately into a deep sleep, her thoughts on the stone.

Hermione began to dream soon after falling to sleep, they were strange dreams, full of lakes and mysterious worlds. There was also a beautiful woman in her dream, she had long black hair and a young, round shaped face. She was dressed in a long white gown that trailed to the ground where it flared out prettily. She was smiling at Hermione and urging her foreword, towards a cabin on the edge of a large forest that appeared to go on and on forever.

"Do not worry, I will not harm you," the strange dream woman whispered to her as Hermione hesitated.

Hermione went towards her and the dream woman held on to her hand kindly as she led her through the mist towards the cabin. Hermione looked down at her self and was surprised to see herself in the same finery as the other woman; her dress was a light blue that also trailed to the ground. Even though the ground was muddy her dress was not dirty, nor were her bare feet. To the right there was a large lake that went on to the horizon where it disappeared into the beautiful golden sunset. The two women reached the cabin and the dream woman pushed the door open. Inside the cabin it was warm with a crackling fire in the fireplace and a yummy smelling stew simmering on the stove.

"Please, sit," the dream woman said, gesturing to the sofa.

Hermione did sit down and watched as the woman went into the room. While she waited for the dream woman to reappear, Hermione looked around at the walls of the cabin. They were covered with shining pieces of armor. There were golden helmets and silver shields. There was one silver shield that particularly caught Hermione's attention, it was the biggest in the room and had a carving of medusa's head in the middle.

The dream woman came back into the room carrying a long silver colored sword. The hilt was edged with blue and green stones and at the top there were amber stones in the form of an owl. The sword seemed to gleam like the moon and on the blade there were small carvings that seemed to shine even brighter.

She sat down next to Hermione on the couch and handed her the sword, smiling at her as Hermione took the sword. It was surprisingly light for such a large sword, as Hermione ran her finger over the stones in the handle.

"Do you like it?" the woman asked her, looking at Hermione expectantly.

"Oh, yes, it's marvelous. Where did you get it? It's so unusual…," Hermione answered looking at the hilt closer.

"It was made for me by my mother. It was never meant to be used as a weapon, just as a gift. She knew who I was going to be even before I was out of the womb, she knew I was destined for great and yet terrible things," the dream woman muttered, gazing out the window and out towards the lake. "But a sword is never forged to just sit around looking pretty, it is meant to be used, wielded in the face of evil. It is time for it to be used, I believe that that is where I failed."

Hermione looked at her confusedly, as the dream woman continued to stare out the window, deep in thought. "Is this a dream?" Hermione asked her.

The woman snapped out of her reverie and turned back towards Hermione with a smile on her youthful face. "It could be or maybe it isn't. It is whatever you wish it to be. I have lived here so long myself that I wasn't truly sure if it was real or not, until I saw you. To you it is a dream, a very strange dream, but to me it is as real as this sword. You will remember this when you wake up, more vividly than any dream. You will remember me, the sword, the cabin, and my words to you; so I'll leave you with one final thought. If you are here in the land of Brodgar, the world of no-place, then you seek something. Think deep and hard about what you seek, because the only way you can get back to me is through this revelation," the dream woman finished, her pale green eyes looking at Hermione intently.

"Who are you?" Hermione asked her.

"I have been known by many names but the world knows me best as Athena, the Goddess of heroes and of wisdom," she answered, her voice becoming faint.

Hermione began to drift away from the cabin and lake, her body seeming to float through the air until she was directly over the middle of the large lake. Then she was hurtling towards the lake and hit it with a huge splash. She could not find the strength to swim back to the surface but felt her lungs aching for air. She was sure she was about to die when she suddenly returned to reality. She was back in her bed but her clothes were soaking wet with lake water. It was like she had gone swimming.

"What was that?" Hermione asked herself as she through the blanket off of herself and stood up, the water dripping onto the carpeted floor.

* * *

**A/N: So what did you think? Please review! ;) **


	28. The No Place Lake

**Chapter 28: The No-Place Lake**

_Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. _

_--Corinthians _

Her skin was soft as the queen's throne, her lips as beautiful as a rose, and her cheeks were blushed a delicate pink. She was gorgeous; to him she was a goddess who for some reason had chosen him as a mate. The way she whispered his name when they made love made his head spin and the feel of her hot breath against his neck was enough to make him faint. Why had she chosen him? She could have any husband. She could take any lover. She was risking everything by committing this sin with him, but he couldn't get enough of her and she couldn't get enough of him. It was love. No one can truly define it. But she felt it for him and he felt it for her.

If he remembered far enough back he could remember her smile, her eyes, and the touch of her skin on his, it was like velvet. He had a word for what he had felt for her but he no longer felt it. There was a hole in his heart where she had once been; that hole was reminder to him of what he had lost the night he had been changed. He wasn't human. Even if she still loved him, he would never let her see the thing he had become, the things he had done. She was pure and perfect, he would be marring her purity even if he did still feel something for the woman that had captivated him. He couldn't find her, through his long life he had tried; she didn't want to be found.

He had been on the Earth for more than 450 years and still any woman he saw reminded him of her; the curve of her neck, the gracefulness of her walk and the strength of her character, her resolve and her wisdom. He had never deserved her. Why? He had been a mere mortal and she a goddess and she had given him a gift more precious than gold, her love. She had killed over her chastity and she had seen fit to give it to him. He would never understand why. She had been his first too. Even if he could no longer feel the love he would remember her kiss.

* * *

"We have to do something, we can't just sit around while there is a clear cut sign of what we should do. Before this I had no clue, no idea of what would kill Voldemort, but now we do, we have to go," Harry stated to the Order of the Phoenix as they gathered around the fire place in their room at the inn.

They were all still in John o' Groats and just two hours ago Hermione had come rushing in telling of them of a strange dream and dripping water all over the floor. She told them in great detail of what had happened and after her story had been finished, they all stared at her in shock. They couldn't believe it.

"Harry, we need to proceed with extreme caution, we don't know what this thing is. It could be the work of Death Eaters," Mr. Weasley cautioned, gesturing towards the stone where it rested on the coffee table.

"I am sick and tired of sitting around doing nothing while people die out there. I've wanted to say that for a long time and there's nothing anyone can do to detour me. I am finding this Athena and I am going to find out what she knows," Harry continued.

"Dad, the stone hasn't been wrong, we can't just ignore what it is. It wants to help us," Ron said, his arm around Hermione.

"We aren't children anymore Mum, we've been in the middle of this for so long that you knew we would be there in the end. We've got to fight along side Harry. We love him, I love him. Please understand," Ginny pleaded, putting her hand on Harry's shoulder.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shared a look and nodded together. "We do understand Ginny, and we love Harry too; we're just worried that you'll rush into something without thinking it all the way through. I—I can't lose another one of you, I just can't," Mrs. Weasley muttered, her eyes a little red from the tears that wanted to flow.

George walked over to his mother and kneeled in front of her, putting his hands over her own hands. "What would Fred want us to do if he was here, mum? I think he would want to fight with everything we had until there was no one else standing. I know Percy and Charlie would want the same thing. They'd want this to end so that no more innocent lives would be lost. Please Mum, with or without your blessing I will go with Harry to the end of the world and back, but it'll be easier with it," he implored, his voice beginning to crack with emotion as he mentioned his fallen brothers.

Tears ran down Molly's face as she put her hands on either side of her son's face and gave him a kiss on each cheek. "Whatever you kids do, you will have our blessing," Molly said, a sad, rather lopsided grin crossing her face.

"You don't want us to go with you do you?" Remus asked, his suspicions correct when Hermione winced.

"I think it would be better if as few people went as possible," Hermione said, biting her lower lip. "Athena said that the only way to get back was to think deep and hard about what we truly seek. If one of us doesn't know what we truly want then we can't get in."

Arthur nodded as he looked at each one of his children (Harry and Hermione were included in his fatherly gaze) and came to a decision. "Harry you are our leader now, it is something I should have done long ago. You are the one that must lead us into battle. What do you want us to do?"

Harry thought for a moment and stood to his feet and began to pace. What to do? It was time to end the war, but first they would need troops. "Somehow we need to call on the other wizards and witches in hiding and have them fight with us. It is the only way."

"Right then," Remus began, "then this is what should be done; Ron and Andrea know the most about the caverns. Do you think you two can rally everyone together?"

Andrea and Ron shared a look of question. It seemed so long ago that they had been a part of that world, but in reality it had only been a couple of months. "We'll try," Andrea stated confidently, standing to her feet and turning towards Ron. "Well come on then, we don't have all day, we have an army to form."

So Ron and Andrea set about compiling a list of all the caverns that they knew and began sending notes to the heads of those caverns. While they did that the Order meeting broke up and they all went off in their own directions. Hermione went back into her room and did a few quick drying charms on her sheets to get out the lake water and Ginny followed Harry into his room. He lay down upon his bed and Ginny lay down beside him instinctively, curling around him like a protective cocoon.

"I love you," she whispered to him, her face pressed up against the back of his head.

"I love you too," he responded, as he searched for her hand among the bedding to hold. "Ginny?"

"What?" she mumbled, close to sleep as she snuggled against him.

"I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" Ginny asked, her curiosity sparked.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Harry asked her, as he took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand.

"You were you, and it helped that you saved me from huge snakes."

Harry laughed a little and rolled over so that he was facing her in the bed. He brushed a stray hair behind her ear, caressed her cheek, and smiled at her. "Marry me."

"Harry…," she breathed, her pulse quick.

"Please say yes, even if it is because I may not get another chance to ask you."

"Please don't say that," Ginny cried, her hands clutched in his shirt.

Harry shook his head. "You know it's true, please don't cry."

Ginny took gulps of air and she was able to continue through her tears. "First I need to tell you something."

"No, Ginny, I don't want to know, I don't care what it is. I just need you to say yes," Harry pleaded, tears of his own beginning to form around his emerald green orbs.

Ginny nodded her head vigorously (she seemed incapable of speech) and hugged him fiercely. He hugged her back and rolled them over that so that he was on top and gave her a kiss that made her head spin.

"I wish I had a ring for you," he whispered as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I don't need a ring, when I have you," Ginny returned as she brought his face back down to hers for another kiss.

It was nearing nighttime when they all set out for the little café for a quick dinner. While they ate, Harry planned on how they would get to the Ring of Brodgar and when they should leave. He jotted down little ideas on a small notepad and then shared them with the others. Soon their plan was formulated. They would leave for Orkney tomorrow morning on the first ferry and then immediately make their way to the Ring of Brodgar. Ahead of them there was the unknown, the anxiety and the scary. They could be facing any imaginable monster and evil Wizard, but they something on their side, the deepest of love.

* * *

This was it, Harry could feel it, pressing down upon him like a weight. This Ring of Brodgar held the answers. This war, the genocide, had to end. How many had already died? Hundreds? Thousands? It was going to end and it was going to end now. Harry was in deep thought as he stared at the Ring. The large ring had originally contained 60 megaliths, each of which ranged from seven feet to 15 feet high, but now only 27 of those were still standing. The ring was surrounded by a massive ditch with two entrance ways, each on opposite sides of the ring. Inside the ring there was a mound of earth that rose from the surrounding ditch.

The area and the ring itself were green from all the recent rain. There was a light, chilly breeze that blew over land that stung Harry's cheeks. The place seemed to have a heart of its own, Harry could feel it beating under his feet, this place was not simply just a prehistoric site, this place was _alive_. Harry took a deep breath of the cold air and stepped forward onto the first entry way. He immediately felt it pass through him and over him, the feeling of peace. The others passed through the entry way behind him and they too felt something.

"What now?" Harry asked Hermione when each one of them were in the middle of the circle.

Like they had told the Order, they took few people as possible. Just Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, George, and Zaid were there. Zaid was there only due to Harry's insistence, if it hadn't been for him, he would have stayed back with the rest.

"Let me think for a minute," Hermione answered him, as she began to walk around them in circles, feeling the ground under her feet pulse. "This place has seen more than just us, others have sought it out. Wars, bloody wars, have been fought on this soil. The blood, the life that was lost here, is what beats under our feet, the love, the hearts," Hermione whispered entering a small trance, as she placed her hand, palm down on the green grass.

"Hermione…" Ron croaked, as he kneeled down with her.

Her gaze turned towards him and she grasped his hand and stared into his deep blue eyes. "Trust me Ron."

"I trust you, you know I do, you just scare me when you get like this. When you get like this, sometimes I'm scared you won't get out of it. I love you so much," Ron whispered to her, capturing her lips with his.

"What do you want most, what do you seek?" Hermione asked him.

What did he want? He certainly wanted Voldemort dead and gone, but there was something else under all that. The answer was right in front him, staring at him with dark brown eyes.

"I want you, I want to spend my life with you," Ron answered as Hermione's eyes brightened.

It had been the right answer and suddenly there was great rumbling beneath them and Ron was swallowed by the earth and into the ground, he was gone from their sight. All of them (except for Hermione, who was still in a trance like state) cried out in alarm.

"Now, the next one must kneel," Hermione said, her arm extended towards them.

George came forward and knelt down beside her, shaking. Hermione took his hand and stared into his light brown eyes. "What do you want most, what do you seek?" she asked again.

George gulped and searched for an answer. "What I want can't come back to me."

"If it was you truly want, then it does not matter if it is attainable or not."

"Then I want Fred back, I want my brother back."

And again the ground trembled and opened up beneath him, and then he was gone. Ginny kneeled next to her next and like before Hermione took her hand and stared into her eyes. "What do you want most, what do you seek?"

"Harry, I want Harry."

Yet the ground did not shake and Ginny was still kneeling with Hermione.

"You want this, seek this, but there is something else. What is it?"

Ginny searched within her heart. What did she want? She wanted Harry, this much she knew. She wanted a life, normalcy. That was the answer, Ginny realized. She just didn't want Harry, she wanted things back to normal.

"I want normalcy," Ginny answered and then she was gone.

"Harry you are next," Hermione told him.

He came forward, his back strait and his mind set on what he wanted. "I want Voldemort dead, I want the world in peace." The ground shook and he was gone.

Now only Zaid and Hermione remained.

"I have saved you for the last, Robert Zaid. I have saved you for the last because I know what you want the most, I know how you pain and pine for her. I knew you could not speak this want aloud. You love her with the power of the stars, and it makes you stronger Robert Zaid. You have no idea of your true strength. You have a purpose within this group and even though it may not be clear to you now, you will know soon why Athena sent you here. What do you want most, what do you seek?"

His voice trembling as he answered. "I want Ginny, I want what I can't have."

The ground shook once again and then Zaid was gone. Now Hermione was alone. The breeze blowed her hair as she came out of her trance and was once again herself. But now in front of her was Athena. Athena kneeled in front of her, took her hands, and looked into her eyes.

"It is your turn now. What do you want most, what do you seek?" Athena asked her.

Hermione didn't have to think about it. It had always been there. The day she met him on the train to Hogwarts was when she first knew, somewhere inside of her she knew.

"I love Ron, I want what Ron wanted. I want him, I want a life with him."

Athena smiled as the ground began to shake. And then the ground opened beneath her to reveal a huge darkness and then Hermione was falling. It felt like she was falling forever before she hit the water with a large splash. Feeling a bit dazed, she had trouble swimming to the surface, her lungs were aching now from the lack of oxygen. Then she felt a pair of strong arms around her, dragging her back towards the air, back towards life. When she had emerged she took deep breaths and felt her head become less fuzzy. Ron helped her swim towards the shore of the large lake they had fallen into. Once they were both on the edge of the lake and out of the water, Hermione was able to sit down. The rest of them had by this time made it to the shore as well and were gathered around her.

"I'm okay," Hermione reassured them at their concerned looks. "I was just feeling a little lightheaded."

Since there was no sign of the cabin on that side of the lake they began the long trek around to the other side where they could barely see a thin line of smoke in the sky. When they got there, Athena was waiting for them in the doorway to her cabin. Today she was dressed in a forest green dress with sleeves that went down to her elbows. Her black hair was braided in a long column down her back and at the top there was a silver butterfly pinned to her hair.

"It is good to see you all, please come in, we have much to talk about," she said, gesturing them in.

They filed into the small cabin and sat down in the chairs and sofa that were placed around the small living room. Athena sat down in the last available chair and looked at each of them one at a time.

"I am sure you all have questions but for now let me speak plainly to you. This is the land of No-Place and this is where I have lived for the last 500 years. There are many stories about me, some true and others not. To truly understand I must tell you everything. There was a war amongst the gods of Olympus and my father was thrown from his throne by Ares, the God of War. I fought for my father and we lost. Before I could be banished by Ares I ran to this place, seeking solitude from the war. But I had found this place years before that, stumbled upon it by accident one day actually.

I am sure you have heard of my quest to rid the world of evil, to rid the world of vampire and yes I did have such a quest. To rid the world of evil but I never wanted to kill the vampires, merely to set them free of the curse upon them. I am known as the Goddess of warriors but I was also known as one of the virgin goddesses. The ancient stories of Greece stop suddenly and do not continue, yet there were other adventures and other things that happened. Things that have not been told that I am going to tell you now," Athena said, her eyes steady upon the others.

"I had found the meadow by accident one day when I was walking through Wiltshire, in England. The place was beautiful and peaceful, I felt at home there. I kept coming back there and one day I met a man in the woods. He was still young, no older then 17 and his family owned the land, and had for centuries. His name was Edmund and we became fast friends. I felt free to tell who I really was and he believed me without question. We later became more than friends as we continued to meet in the meadow, amongst the willow trees that grew there. I had never loved another man, mortal or immortal. I knew he loved me, I could see it in his eyes. We made love amongst the grass and under the sun, wrapped in only each other," she sighed, and looked out the window, remembering something that had happened long ago.

"Edmund was a wizard and came from a pureblood family, his father would beat him when he wasn't pleased about something. I treated his wounds and each time had to send him back to his father. His father knew nothing of our love affair." There were now tears running down Athena's face.

"In love and wanting nothing more than to be forever with Edmund I went to my own father and begged him for something that he could never imagine one of his children asking him. I asked for mortality, I wanted to live and die with Edmund. My father was shocked and angry but after I showed him the love inside my heart he granted me my wish, but only if Edmund would give me a kiss, true love's kiss.

I went back down to the earth, my heart light. I waited in the meadow for him, but he did not come. I finally went to the manor where he lived with his father, his brother, and his sisters. I found blood and the dead bodies of his family. Edmund was not among them.

Edmund's father had involved himself with vampires, trying to get a pureblood on the throne of England and the result was tragic. Believing that Edmund father was going to double cross them, they went after him first. They killed him quickly, raped his daughters, killed one of his sons, and took Edmund. My heart broke in that moment," Athena whispered, her eyes red from weeping, she said nothing more for a moment.

"What happened to Edmund?" Hermione asked gently, knowing in her heart what had already happened to him.

"They turned him, made him into what they were," she muttered, her eyes becoming a fury of darkness as she remembered. "I followed those vampires who had taken my Edmund, I was prepared to kill. I found them under a grove of trees outside of Manchester. They were traveling as gypsies, trying to keep a low profile. I entered their camp and with my sword singing in the night air, I lopped off one of their heads and staked two others. I set fire to the other two and then I began my search for Edmund. I found him in the wagon that they were traveling in; he did not recognize me right away and he charged me with his own sword. I parried his attack and quickly overtook him and his own sword went flying threw the air.

It was then, with my sword at his neck that he registered who I was. In the fight I myself had gotten carried away and had forgotten who I was fighting. My sword dropped to my side and we stared at each other for a moment. He still looked like Edmund, the change had yet to change his appearance and my heart tugged at the sight of him. He said one thing to me, and only one thing, '_I am sorry.'_ And then he ran from me and deeper into the forest, I did not follow him. It was then that I began to gather the stones, like the one Ms. Granger wears; I ended up finding all but one. It is only through these stones that I can break the curse," Athena finished, gesturing towards the stone around Hermione's neck.

Hermione and Ron shared a quick look before turning back towards Athena. Ron cleared his throat and began to speak. "Uh…. I heard something like this once. Did this by any chance take place in the 1500's?" Ron asked her carefully.

"Yes, it did. How did you know that?"

"Er… I think we met Edmund, well I mean Edmund the vampire. Actually he didn't give his name as Edmund, he gave it as Derek Adlam. But he did tell us that his father was abusive and that he had a brother and some sisters, and that his father was in league with vampires, except he never mentioned anything about once loving a Greek Goddess," Ron uttered, the tips of his ears red with embarrassment.

"You see Athena, he saved me. I was captured by vampires almost two months ago and he was with the vampires that captured me. He got me out of there and I found out later that he was working as a spy for a group of vampires that are against Voldemort," Hermione told her.

Athena was silent for a moment as she took this in. "That changes things doesn't it?" she whispered as she stood to begin pacing. "Vampires will rarely break away from common thinking amongst their own race. They follow what has been believed since they were created. If they are against Voldemort then that means that they are going against Rhea. Part of the curse is that a vampire does not feel love nor loyalty. They believe without doubt that Rhea knows all, to go against her means that they are going against everything that they have ever known. It is time for action. Enough of this story telling."

Athena left the room and returned moments later with the same sword that she had shown Hermione in her dream. It, like before, was perfectly polished and gleamed like the sun. She handed it to Harry and kneeled in front of him.

"This is yours Harry Potter, until your job is done," she told him, placing a kiss on each cheek. "I have not left this place for 500 years, it is time to stretch my legs. But first we need help."

Athena stood back up and threw her cloak around her shoulders. "I shall return as soon as possible, until then do not stray from the cabin. If we are going to fight a war than we will need soldiers," she stated and then she left, closing the door to her little cabin behind her.

They watched her leave, shocked looks on their faces as she did so. She had left so suddenly that they were left just sitting in their seats, still trying to take in the full story that she had told. Harry was the stillest of them all as he gazed at the sword in his hands.

"Well… that was weird," George said, opening the cabin door to peak outside. "I don't see her, I wonder where she went?"

"I don't know, but this is getting a little creepy. I mean exactly where are we?" Ginny asked, joining her brother by the door. "Robert where are you going?" she asked Zaid, as he stood up and ventured towards the other room in the cabin.

Zaid turned towards and raised an eyebrow. "I'm just going to have a look around, no need to fret."

"Whoa, I think she's right, I don't think we should split up. We don't know where we are and we don't know where Athena is. We should just stay put," Hermione cautioned.

"It's not like I'm going to look through her panty drawer, I'm just going to take a peek."

Ron stood up at the look of alarm on Hermione's face and stopped Zaid with a raised palm. "Look here Zaid, I don't think we should piss off a millennia old Greek Goddess…."

But Zaid was already in the other room. "Damn it Zaid!" Ron cursed.

"Holy shit, she's got all of this old paper all over her walls!" Zaid yelled from the other room.

Since Ron was already following him in, the rest decided to follow. Harry was at the back of the "line" with the sword at his side. There was in fact paper all over her walls and not just any kind of paper.

"This isn't paper!" Hermione cried out in delight. "These are old scrolls, old pieces of parchment that someone has written upon. They're actually quite amazing."

They gazed at them a bit, but they couldn't read them since they were all either in Latin or Greek so they moved on. They looked at each piece of armor that adorned her living room walls and then moved on to her little kitchen in the corner. It was actually quite primitive with just a stove, a small icebox, and some cabinets next to these, with a short counter made out of some sort of wood. But soon they became bored and after half an hour they began to get rather antsy.

"This is stupid, I'm going outside," Zaid announced and before they could protest he was already out the door.

"Wait a minute!"

They followed him out and were met with absolute silence. They couldn't hear the wind blowing through the trees or the sound of the water lapping against the rocks, all they could hear were their own hearts beating. Even though they had been only a second or two behind Zaid, he was no where to be seen.

"Where did he go?" Ginny uttered as she peaked around the other side of the cabin, no Zaid. "Guys?" Ginny asked when she didn't get a reply and she turned around, they weren't there either.

Ginny cursed and circled the cabin, but there was only her in the silence. She tried to go back into the cabin but the door was locked. Her hands shaking she sat down against the wall and began to think about what she had gotten herself into. If she was alone like that then the rest could be as well; all alone in their separate worlds. She decided to wait; Athena would probably know what to do.

She was waiting for about ten minutes when she heard the crunching of feet against gravel. Standing to her feet, she reached for her wand and found it gone from her pocket. The crunching stopped and then began again; it was coming closer to her now, ever closer. Her heart thundering within her chest she tiptoed around the cabin, in the opposite direction of the coming footsteps, she wanted to get a peak of what was coming towards her. She peaked around the corner and was able to see the edge of a long black cloak disappear around the side. She hadn't been able to get a look at who it was so she continued around the cabin.

It was then that she heard him behind her, his breathing heavy against her ear. She froze stalk still when she felt a hand travel up her bare arm and then over to her other shoulder. He had snuck up to her, she hadn't been fast enough. The man behind her chuckled and finally Ginny snapped out of her reverie and tried to pull away from him, wanting to run, but she couldn't, his hold was too great upon her arm. She whirled around, ready to strike out with her fist but a scream rose within her when she found what was holding her.

It was Harry and yet not Harry, its eyes were bright red and his incisors long and pointed. He was ready to strike. Ginny did scream then and struggled harder against him, her fists striking him on the chest, kicking him with everything she had. But his grip was too strong.

"Stop struggling, this'll be fun," the thing like Harry crooned to her, as he easily captured both of her fists in his hands and swung her around so that her back was flush against his chest.

"Get off me!" Ginny screamed as he walked them over to the back wall of the cabin and pressed her up against the wall, his whole body still flush against her back.

He let go of both of her hands for a second before capturing them again and pulled her arms above her head and then against the wall. Her two hands were now trapped by his left hand against the hard wall. With his free hand he moved her hair away from her neck and rained kisses along the skin that had been revealed. She continued to scream for dear life. She felt his fangs scrape against her skin and a jolt went up her spine and down to her toes. And then, just like that he was gone but the burning from his fangs on her skin still remained. Ginny whirled around and ran back to the front of the cabin. She tried the door again but it was still locked. Tears of fright running down her face, she ran around to the left side and climbed up the stack of fire wood that was against the wall. She pulled herself up and then she was on roof. Even though she wasn't protected up here at least she could see anything that could come out of the dark forest. Ginny began to feel woozy and hoping the thing that looked like Harry wouldn't come back she laid down on the shingles and immediately fell into a dreamless unnatural sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to all of my readers and the reviewers! This story is finally drawing to a close, right now I have two more chapters planned and then an epilogue. So please review if you feel inclined to do so. :) **


	29. Deception and Revelation

**Notes of clarification: **I realized after posting the last chapter that I had actually forgotten two of my characters…. Yeah I know, embarrassing. But it had been a year so I hope you guys will cut me a little slack. Really embarrassing. So, after the story is over and done I will be going back and editing them out or rewriting them a little. They were Albert Porter and his wife. So, for now ignore their existence until I work out how I'm to fix the huge, gigantic plot hole I just created.

**Other notes: **Right, this chapter is really thick on the Greek Mythology part of the story so I will be clarifying a few of the Greek gods that I introduce or mention.

**Athena: **Greek goddess of heroes and of wisdom and is also known as a god of 'peaceful' war. She was born out of her father's (Zeus) head fully grown and dressed in armor.

**Apollo: **Greek God of archery, of medicine and healing. Twin brother of Artemis. One of the son's of Zeus.

**Artemis:** Greek goddess of the hunt and the wild.

**Eros: **Is the Greek equivalent of cupid. He is the God of lust, love, and sex, and let's just say that he's a pesky bugger…. He once shot his 'love' arrow at Apollo and made him fall in love with a nymph named Daphne. She had herself turned into a tree after that when she scorned Apollo. He is a 'grandson' of Zeus.

**Hermes: **The Greek god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures, of invention, of commerce in general, and of the cunning of thieves and liars.

**Hebe: **Is the goddess of youth and daughter of Zeus, wife of Heracles.

**Nike: **My personal favorite, she is the goddess of victory and a distant cousin of Athena and all other children of Zeus. Her wings symbolized the fleeting nature of victory. She was a companion of Athena. And yes, the shoe company did name themselves after her. The correct pronunciation is Nee-kay, but I prefer Ni-kee, just like the company.

* * *

**Chapter 29: Deception and Revelation**

The world suddenly seemed to be very fuzzy and opaque, Zaid realized as he trekked through the nearby forest. He cursed his stupidity again as he looked around him in the thick fog that had settled around him, making it hard for him to see much of anything. When he had gone out the cabin door, he immediately knew he had done the stupidest thing in the world and now he was paying the price. When he had taken two steps out of the door, he turned to go back in he saw each of his companions disappear into thin air as they followed him out.

That had been two hours ago and he had spent much of that time searching around the cabin and when he had become too frustrated at the lack of _anything_ he had started out into the forest that surrounded the large lake. He had been at it for almost 30 minutes and he had come across nothing except for a lot of trees and a lot of fog.

He stopped and leaned against the nearest tree as he wiped his brow and tried to look through the fog. He continued on after that and the fog just became thicker until he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face. And then suddenly with a sickening thud he ran into a large tree that happened to be right in the middle of his path. Cursing vehemently with stars bursting through his now aching head he tried to kick the tree he had ran into. But he missed and his foot only grazed it as he slipped on the damp leaves and other forest matter that littered the forest floor. With another thud he made contact with the ground and lost consciousness, lying completely alone and cold in the middle of nowhere.

When he finally came to about an hour later he was warm and comfortable (except for the terrible ache in his head) on a small bed, surrounded by the earthen walls of a cave. He groaned and tried to sit up but his head swam from the effort and he settled back down. He began to wonder who his savior was as he looked around at his surroundings. He only had to wait for a few moments to find out exactly that was.

She was amazingly tall (she probably matched his own 6 feet 5 inches) and slim with her small breasts bared for all the world to see. There was a short, thin skirt that covered her bottom half that was made out of a flimsy looking cotton like cloth. Her blonde hair was cut short in a crazy array of curls around her head. Her pale face was angular with high cheek bones and large blue eyes. Though her arms were slim like the rest of her, Zaid could plainly see the muscles beneath her skin and knew instantly that this was not your average woman. She turned around to put down the two dead rabbits that she had come in with and when she did Zaid's eyes widened at what he saw. Instead of the smooth skin of her back that he had expected to see there was instead a mass of pure white feathers that covered two large wings that were folded tightly to her back. Was this an angel? He wondered in a daze as she turned back around and spotted him awake and staring at her.

"Oh good you are awake I was hoping that your injuries were not of the severe nature," she said, greeting him in a very heavy Irish accent.

A bit taken aback by not only her appearance but also her speech he only blinked at her for a minute before responding.

"I… uh… yeah, thanks I don't think I'm too badly banged up."

"Excellent!" she cried, beaming at him with a wide smile on her thin face. "I am Nike, Goddess of Victory, and you are?"

His mouth hanging open he struggled to say something. He was so shocked that for a moment he couldn't think of exactly who he was. She looked at him with great concern as he continued to stare at her.

"Perhaps you are banged…. You don't seem to be all there," she spoke softly.

"What? No, no I'm fine! I, uh you just surprised me is all. It isn't often I meet a woman with wings. I am Robert Zaid, from Cornwall," he finally answered.

"I am pleased to meet you Robert Zaid, from the kingdom of Cornwall. Tell me, Robert Zaid, a man of your immense presence," she began gesturing to his tall frame and muscled arms, "you must be a warrior or maybe even a young prince of this Cornwall."

"No, I'm not any of those things, Cornwall isn't a kingdom but a county, it's part of bigger country," he tried to explain to her at the confused look on her face.

She studied him for a moment, her piercing blue eyes traveling up and down his body and Zaid had the impression that she glanced across his "nether regions" with unique interest.

"This country you call home must be very wealthy to have… counties," she purred, making the word counties sound like she was mentioning some deep, dark sexual fantasies or fetishes. "Tell me about these… counties."

"Uh…," he started to say as he became aware for the second time that she wasn't wearing a shirt or even a bra and that her breasts were just _there_.

Was she putting some sort of spell on him? He began to wonder as she meandered towards him, her hips swaying and her long, long legs coming into sharper focus. He had to admit there were really nice legs. Really nice, damn fine actually. They went on forever. He hadn't known he was so into legs, he always fancied himself an arse kind of man. Then suddenly the wings were gone and her hair had turned a fiery red and was growing before his eyes down her back. Now Ginny was standing before him, gloriously naked. His eyes flicked back down to her breasts and noted that they were now fuller and the nipples a slightly darker rose color.

"Oh damn," he croaked out as she straddled his waist, her light brown eyes bright with arousal and lust as her own hands traveled up her torso to cup her breasts.

For some cruel, inhuman reason he couldn't seem to move to touch her. Move! He screamed at himself, wanting nothing more to prove to her that he was the man for her. What did Potter have that he didn't have anyways? His mind flashed back to that night and remembered it all. The feel of her, the smell of her, the taste of her. He wanted her so bad that he couldn't think strait. He needed to be in her. He felt right then, in that very moment that if he didn't feel her around him that he was going to die. Yes, he was surely going to perish, but still he couldn't move.

While he was thinking about his inevitable death from lust she was pleasuring herself with two long fingers. She was biting her lip now, soft whimpers coming from her as she neared the sweet bliss of ultimate completion. He watched her, silently begging the Gods to let him do something. At that very moment he would do anything to grip her hips, touch her breasts, or to join his thick fingers with her own. He would do anything to be inside her, to have her crying out his name, while he proved to her she was his.

"_Nobody owns me," _said a voice inside his head, it was Ginny's voice, but it wasn't the Ginny that was with him now.

Suddenly something within him snapped and realized that this was wrong. This wasn't Ginny, it couldn't be Ginny, and it wasn't the Ginny that he wanted. Whatever was above him was something he didn't want. Realizing he could move now, he gripped her around the waist and threw her from him. He gasped for breath as he watched her vanish before she could even hit the floor. What was happening? Was he going mad? Before him, in the place where Ginny would have landed, Nike now stood, her face laced with concern. The winged woman had never been Ginny, Ginny had simply been a thing of his imagination.

"You have the fever," Nike said to him, her hand shaking as it brushed against his damp forehead.

Zaid was shocked to see the same arousal that had been Ginny's eyes in Nike's. But she wasn't throwing herself at him.

"You saw what I saw?" he rasped out, his throat seeming dryer than it had ever been.

"Yes," she answered, her once pale cheeks flushed. "This place plays tricks on your mind. The land we walk on just doesn't exist, it breaths and it thinks. It knows completely the people that step onto it. It knows your desires, your fears, and your nightmares. You desire that woman," she stated simply.

"Yes, more than anything."

"Why?" she asked him, her eyes losing their earlier lust and becoming a steely blue.

"Because I do," he replied, confused at her sudden change in demeanor as she swept away from him to go towards the magical, smokeless fire burning in the middle of the cave.

She stirred something that was cooking over the fire and went to the other side of the cave and pulled on a short tunic, her back towards him. Nike now firmly ignored him as she took the two dead rabbits and strolled outside.

Horribly confused and now, more then ever, wanting to find the others, he got out of the bed and pulled on his shoes. He walked out the way she had just left and found her sitting in a chair just outside the entrance, skinning the two rabbits. He watched her for a moment as she worked and realized that she was muttering quietly to herself in her native language as she angrily hacked away at one of the rabbits. Strangely he felt like he had always known her even though they had just met 15 minutes ago.

"Why are you upset?" he asked her, wondering why he cared so fast.

"You men are so blind," she hissed to him, pointing the blood and rabbit hair covered knife in his direction.

She glared at him for a moment before going back to her task and continued muttering to herself, he was now certain that she was muttering curses at him. Wondering if she had anything else to say he waited a second for her to continue but when she didn't he opened his mouth to speak. But before he could get a word out she was speaking to him again.

"You want a woman that can't possibly love you in return and yet you continue to torture yourself. I saw your thoughts when you imagined me as that woman. All you do is think about her, even when she's in love with another man. All you do is think about your pain."

Now Nike was standing and the knife lay discarded on the chair next to the rabbits. Her hands were on her hips and she was standing before him, legs slightly spread as if she was waiting for battle.

"She could love me," he said loudly, trying to convince himself just as much as her. "And what do you know anyways!" he yelled, his anger heightened by the sneer on her face.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me!" she screamed back, her hands now balled into tight, unyielding fists at her sides. "I have powers that you will never think possible. You're going to hurt her Robert. You think you love her but you love your own pity more. You're going to force her to choose between you and the man who needs to her. You don't need her and all you'll do is break her. You tell yourself that you'll never hurt her, but you are too selfish to just stand by and watch her be happy with anybody but you. You are no man Robert Zaid," she growled to him.

"You don't know shit! You don't me!"

"I know you better than you know yourself. You're going to fuck everything up and then you are really going to die!"

He was so angry that he picked up the little stool that sat near the entrance of the cave and threw it at her with all his might. Pain clouded his brain and he tried to block out her accusations. She easily stepped out of the way of the flying stool with the ease and grace of a seeker and then with a war like cry she rushed towards him. Her wings were spread out now and they seemed to give her extra speed as she reached him in an instant. She landed a hard blow to his jaw before he even knew she had moved towards him. His head whipped back from the force of it and he staggered back. She landed another hard blow to his gut before he gathered his wits and tried to block her next blow. This was no woman, she was born a warrior and stronger than any mortal man so he completely blocked in the wrong direction. She feinted in the left direction, acting like she was going to hit him again in the face, before she suddenly swung her entire body around, her tunic whipping around her and landed a kick to his gut. All of the air whooshed out of him and his knees buckled.

She was their again and pushed him roughly to his back, her breath coming out in quick angry pants as she placed her foot at his throat. "You have no idea…" but before she could finish he had acted quickly and had swept her feet out from under her. Suddenly she too was on her back.

He rushed over to her, his blood pumping through his veins with lightening speed. Before she could again rise herself to her feet, he was pinning her to the ground. He straddled her upper thighs and captured her flying fists in his hands and then pinned them above her head. He looked down at her as her eyes flashed with anger and something else entirely. He could hear her heart beat and his in the silence of the forest and the sound seemed to surround them. There was a third heart beat as well, but it came from deep within the ground. It seemed to whisper to him, telling him what he really wanted. He then realized that she wanted him. Is that why she had been angry, because in his warped imagination he had turned her into Ginny? Was she jealous? Was it even possible that his own body was raging for her after only half-an hour? He didn't know but he was going to find out.

"Get off me you bloody son-of-a-bitch!"

"No! You asked me why I wanted Ginny and I want her because I had a taste and now I can't have another. I do love her, but I don't know how deep it goes. I look at her and I get confused. I don't like being confused and right now I'm more confused than I've ever been. I want you right now, more than I ever wanted her. It's like you put a spell on me, this place has put a spell on me," he said, watching as she stilled beneath him. "Tell me you want me."

Her eyes held no more anger but now just lust for him but there was resistance behind them. "I've put no spell on you, if this land has placed the spell then it is only because you do want this. Do you love her?"

This place, this woman had filled him with such doubts that he didn't even know anymore. If he did love her then wouldn't it be absolute? He wouldn't have these doubts if he truly loved her. Had she been right, did he just love his own pity? Had it been for selfish reasons that he told himself that he loved her? He didn't love her, but he cared about her. After all they had been through, he'd be a dead man not to care for Ginny at least a little.

"No," he groaned out, the revelation seeming to cost him a great deal.

"Then take me, I want you."

His lips crashed down to hers in a frenzied, hard kiss and her body arched up into his, begging him for more. He took.

* * *

While Zaid lost himself to the lust, Hermione was in a predicament all her own. Feeling sick that she had led them into what was certainly one the circles of hell. For all she knew the others were dead. She thought of this and then thought of Ron and her belly clenched in absolute terror. If only she could find him then she would be certain everything would turn out okay in the end. An hour passed and then two and with every passing minute Hermione became ever closer to the end of her tether. She had seen no one since they had all vanished before her very eyes. She had called their names and had of course gotten no response. 

Deciding that she could see any possible danger better if she had a high vantage point, she climbed up onto the roof and looked down over the edge. And then she waited for someone to find her. Surely this spell or whatever it was that had made them all disappear couldn't last forever, after all Athena would be back and hopefully she could reverse it. She waited some more.

Then, about two hours after everyone's disappearance, out of the corner of her eye she saw an outline of a person walking around the cabin. It was actually very funny looking, this outline. It wasn't a ghost, it was even less solid then a ghost and the outline flickered in and out with every step it took. Watching it closely she saw it flicker brighter then ever and then almost go out completely. She had definitely seen red hair, she was one-hundred percent sure of it. But she couldn't tell if it had been Ron, George, or Ginny. The outline continued to flicker a little but did not become bright enough to see any details again.

"Ron!" she called down where the outline was. She didn't know why but she could just feel it in her very bones that it had been Ron. "Ron!" she called again when the outline did nothing different.

But then she heard something, something very faint, like something was whispering to her from the ground.

"_Hermione…_" it called ever so quietly.

Her heart jumped to her throat when she realized who the voice belonged to. "Ron!"

She scrambled down off the roof and stopped in front of the outline. She was certain it was Ron. She bellowed his name to see if it did anything. The outline stopped in front of her and she could see it look around. Had he heard her?

She bellowed it again and then the outline seemed to look strait through her.

"Hermione?" Ron's very distant voice seemed to call to her again.

How could she make him see her? There had to be a way. She just couldn't give up when he had so clearly heard her. Taking a deep breath she raised her arm and hit him across what she thought was his shoulder as hard as she could. Instead of her arm passing through him like she had feared it would it hit solid mass. She heard a very quiet curse of pain and her heart rejoiced. But then, Ron of course not knowing what had just hit him, hit back, his flying fist just grazing her cheek. She yelped and jumped back as he took another swing, he missed this time.

"Ron, it's me!"

He stopped and lowered his fist as he looked around. With hesitation he slowly started to feel around in front of him, looking for the invisible Hermione. She stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his cheek. He jumped and felt his way to her own cheek.

"Hermione?" he asked.

She nearly cried when the outline became Ron and with a look of surprise on his face she too became visible. He pulled her into a bone crushing hug as they swayed happily on the spot.

"Did I hit you? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly as he kissed her.

"I'm okay Ron. I'm so glad you're here, I was so worried!" she said, pulling him back into a hug.

"Have you seen anyone else?" he asked.

"No, just you."

Ron cursed again and received a half-hearted wack across the head from Hermione. "What are we going to do?" he asked her.

"I'm not sure…. I'm hoping Athena will return soon, but if she can't see us either, I don't know what we'll do."

* * *

Athena whistled as she walked, it was a habit that she had picked up through the centuries and it had yet to break. She walked along the forest path carefully, and a man walked beside her. He was a great deal taller then Athena and looked like the complete opposite of her. His hair was blonde and it curled down to the nape of his neck, and his face was sharply shaped and handsome with dark brown eyes. 

"So tell me, sister, about this war that you say is surely coming," he spoke, his grin wide.

Athena turned her head towards her half-brother Apollo and looked at him strangely. "Why are you so happy for war?"

He shrugged and looked around at their surroundings. To him there was nothing but trees and shrubbery, nothing at all that he found interesting. He'd been there for a few centuries and was now bored, literally, out of his mind.

"I'm bored 'Ena, I need something to occupy my time. Sometimes I hate being immortal."

"Are you saying death would have been better than being banished here? This place isn't so bad, at least we have some family here," Athena reminded him as they continued along the winding path.

He stopped and grabbed his sister's wrist to also stop her. "It was family that betrayed us and our father."

"I don't consider those people family," she spat, before wrenching herself out of his grip and continuing on.

"'Ena, I'm sorry, you know I don't consider nay of those traitors family," he said, deciding to change the topic. "So, exactly who are we going to go see? It's been so long that I've seen anyone besides you. Of course that's not a terrible thing, you make wonderful company."

"Right now I'm going to go see Nike and then I was thinking that maybe Eros would like to join our cause."

"You're joking! Please tell me you're joking," he cried, stopping again, looking absolutely horrified. "You can't mean Eros! Why he's the son of not one but two traitors, and I hate him if you remember correctly. Damn little freak and effing arrows, he should be killed I tell you! Killed!" he yelled again.

Athena raised one eyebrow in amusement at his fright. "I thought that whole business was over between you and Eros?"

"Over! How could it ever be over? It is his fault that Daphne was turned into the tree," he stated sullenly.

"Alright then, I won't invite Eros to our cause."

He looked relieved and wrapped his arm around his older sister's shoulders. "You almost gave me a fright. Who else were you thinking about?"

Athena was silent for a moment as she thought about all of her various relations that had come to settle in this land. Many were not fit to fight, or she knew would be unwilling. At least she knew Nike would be up for anything, even if the others would turn them away.

"What do you think about Hermes?"

"Hermes? Do you really think we can trust him? I mean think about it, he did steal my cattle," Apollo grumbled.

Athena sighed. "If we keep doing this then we won't have anyone to try to recruit. At one point or another we all probably wanted to kill each other. Even if Hermes did steal your livestock, he was always loyal to our father, that has to mean something."

"True but he did have a child with Aphrodite, that has to be considered. His own child was in the army that we fought," he noted, looking smug.

"Fine then, no Hermes, I get the point, how about Hebe?" she suggested.

Apollo actually considered this one as he stroked his smooth chin. "Not bad, do you think she's up for battle though?"

"We were at one time good friends before she married Hercules, don't let the whole 'Goddess of youth' thing get in the way. She's been in a battle before."

"Alright then, we can go call on Nike and Hebe," he relented, as they reached a clearing in the middle of the thick forest.

"Is this Nike's?" he asked as he looked around and then towards the cave at the other side of the clearing. The cave itself backed up against a tree covered hill.

"Yes, I think so, we haven't seen each other in a few years, I hope she hasn't moved on," she whispered as they approached the cave entrance.

Apollo grabbed her wrist once more and dragged her back towards him and away from the cave.

"What's wrong now?" she hissed in annoyance.

"Don't you feel it?" he whispered to her, his mouth close to her ear.

"Feel what?"

"Can't you feel the beat of it, can't you taste it?" he whispered again, his breath tickling her ear and making shivers go up and down her spine. "I can even smell it you know."

Becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the closeness of Apollo's body to hers she elbowed him in the stomach and felt the whoosh of air as he jerked away from her. She turned around and glared at him.

"Have you completely lost your mind!"

He groaned and raised his eyes to hers. He was still clutching his stomach. "Sorry, 'Ena."

"What is wrong with you?"

"Well, besides the fact I think you just rearranged my insides and I just made a fool out of myself, I'm fairly certain that Nike has male company, if you get my meaning," he muttered, standing up strait. "Seriously, can't you feel it?"

Athena paused and looked away from him; she closed her eyes and was still for a moment so that the only thing she could hear was her own breathing and Apollo's. There was a steady pulse coming from below her feat. This pulse was just like a beat, a steady rhythm of two combined heart beats. They seemed to travel up her legs and to the very top of her head, leaving her skin tingling and desire pooling between her thighs. Her breathing hitched and she heard Apollo's quicken.

"Why would Nike lying with someone cause this?" she breathed, as she opened her eyes.

Apollo had turned around and now had his back to her. His breathing was fast and he seemed to be trying to control himself.

"That bad?" she asked, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice.

"Yeah," he rasped out. "I haven't been with anybody in a few centuries, it starts to take its toll. Don't come any closer, don't touch me or anything, I'm afraid I might attack you."

Athena laughed.

"What's so funny? I'm being serious!"

"You, attack me? For heaven's sake Apollo, even if you tried, you'd find yourself turned into some animal," Athena said as the pulsing beneath their feat slowed and then stopped all together.

He took a few more deep breaths and then turned back towards her. She raised an eyebrow at him in question. He nodded and shrugged, looking sheepish.

"Do you think they're done in there?" Athena asked him as they turned back towards the cave.

"Maybe, I would think so since the pulsing stopped," he replied.

They slowly crept towards the entrance to the little cave and peaked around the corner. It was fairly dark inside and there was only a very light fire burning, it was the only source of light in the room. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness they could clearly see two figures lying in a sweaty heap on a small bed. Their legs and arms were intertwined and the clash of dark and pale skin was electrifyingly erotic. Nike's naked, now wingless, back was towards them and her skin glowed with a light sheen of sweat. There was a light blanket pulled up that covered the couples' lower halves. Athena's eyes narrowing she realized who the man was.

"Mr. Zaid! What in the world are you doing here? I told you not to leave," Athena cried out as she took two hesitant steps into the cave.

The couple on the bed jumped and he pulled the blanket up to their chins, looking around the room with shock at their visitors.

"Athena!" Nike said in shock, she then turned towards Zaid and said, "you know each other?"

Zaid looked between the two of them before realization dawned on his face. The desire for her had made him forget why he was even there.

"Oh shit…. I forgot," Zaid groaned as he sat up.

"What happened?" Athena asked.

He quickly explained to her what had happened and watched as Athena's face fell as he told her everything. In particular her eyes widened when he briefly (very briefly) described the spell like daze that had made him forget everything except for Nike.

"Nike?" Athena asked at this.

"You know it wasn't me 'Ena, I wouldn't do that," Nike whispered, and Zaid noticed that there was a certain hitch to her voice. Was she embarrassed, he wondered?

He touched her arm gently and she jerked her arm out of his reach. Athena looked between them and realized that for the first time that the feeling of awkwardness was spreading through out the room and it was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Um… I'll be right outside with Apollo while you two, uh, get your selves together. Nike, I need to talk to you about something when you're done," she said, before hurrying out of the cave.

Nike got out of bed and pulled back on her discarded clothes, all the while she didn't look at Zaid. After several moments of silence, Zaid got up to and pulled on his jeans.

"Nike?" he whispered, walking up behind her and touching her shoulder, he also placed a kiss on the back of her neck.

She moved away from him.

"I don't understand you," he said, looking at her confusedly.

"The only reason that you even looked at me was because of whatever spell you were under," she stated, turning around to look at him. "You're still not thinking strait."

"What? No, I did want you, if there was a spell, it doesn't mean it completely blinded me."

It was then that he realized something was different. "What happened to your wings?"

"I can make them go away for awhile if I want to, most men are put off by them. I know I'm not beautiful, and they don't help matters any."

Zaid blinked at her and when she turned back away from him to walk out he grabbed her arm and dragged her back around. He tugged her towards him and captured her lips in a hard kiss. Her hand was on his chest to push him away but it was half-hearted and soon she was melting into him.

He broke away from her and placed a kiss on the skin below her ear and whispered, "I'm not under any spell now and I do think you're beautiful. Who ever gave you the idea that you weren't?"

She shrugged but didn't pull away from him. "I pale in comparison to the rest of my family; I've always known that I wasn't beautiful."

He kissed her again and she gently pushed him away. "I'll be back, I have to go see what they want, it sounded important."

She walked out, leaving him in the middle of the room. He sighed and ran a hand over his hairless head and looked around. He didn't really know what to do with himself and not only that he was really confused. Ginny popped into head and he realized that he couldn't really remember why he thought he was in love with her. Nike was right, it would only lead to pain on both sides if he pursued her. He pulled on his shirt and walked towards the exit.

Athena and a man he didn't recognize were outside with Nike and they were talking quietly. The man saw him and pointed this out to Nike who turned around and motioned for him to come foreword. They were still talking when he reached Nike's side.

"Are you in?" Athena asked Nike.

"You know I would be. You don't even have to ask. Who else is going to be joining us besides the mortals?"

"Right now, I don't even know. I know many will turn us away and some are simply unable to fight," she answered her, looking in the distance.

"What about Artemis? I'm sure that…" Nike began but was cut off by Apollo who was shaking his head.

"We've already asked her, she doesn't want to," he answered, a trace of bitterness in his voice.

Nike looked taken aback and gazed at Apollo for a moment before turning back to Athena. Athena shrugged and looked a little melancholy.

"I'm sure if we just talk to her again, she will see reason."

"No, she won't. I know my twin, she won't want to come out of seclusion for a war she does not believe is her own," Apollo said, looking angry. "I would have hoped sharing a womb would make her trust me to know what is right but apparently not."

Athena shook her head and changed the subject. "There's nothing we can do right now. For now we have to find Hermione and the others, if they experienced the same sort of disappearing act as Zaid did then they could be in a world of trouble."

They all agreed and before they set off Nike went back into her little cave and came out with a holster around her waist (it held a long, gleaming sword) and a quiver of arrows and a bow across her back. Her wings were back now, and Zaid thought she looked like some ancient Greek statue. It came to him then that there were probably Greek statues of her. She took off into the air and began to circle above them, looking for the others while Athena, Apollo, and Zaid set off on foot.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry about the longer wait for an update but I got discouraged with the whole, forgetting entire characters thing… and I only received one review each for the last two chapters. ****I'm not going to hold chapters hostage if I don't receive reviews but if you are reading this story please review. I get about three or four new story alerts with each chapter that I post but no one reviews. **

**Thank you to all my readers (even if you guys don't review), I do appreciate people just reading. :) **


	30. Brothers

**A/N:** I have been planning this chapter for almost three years, so I hope everyone finds it… interesting. Hopefully some of you like it, by I do warn you, this actually gave me the creeps when I wrote it. This chapter comes in at a whopping 7400 words (the longest chapter yet by more than a 1000). Thanks to the people that reviewed!

* * *

**Chapter 30: Brothers**

As Nike soared above the trees, her eyes peeled for any movement, Zaid, Athena, and Apollo walked back down the path in relative silence. It only took them ten or so minutes to reach the lake from Nike's cave. Nike landed gracefully next to them.

"There was no one near the path that I could see, but from the air I can see the cabin, it looks like there's someone on the roof…. I can't see much of anything else yet," she said quickly before taking off again and flying towards the cabin.

The rest of them took off at a fast trot and they distantly saw Nike land on the roof. As they neared the cabin, Zaid saw Ron and Hermione round the corner and staring at the roof in shock and awe. As they neared the cabin they broke out in a full blown run when they saw Nike fly down with Ginny in her arms.

"She's got blood all over her neck," Nike muttered as they came to a halt in front of her.

Ron and Hermione looked between all of them in surprise as Nike ripped open Ginny's shirt and gently flipped her over so that she could see her neck. She moved aside her hair aside and everyone gasped at the angry red flesh that covered her shoulder and the back of her neck. Ron's eyes flew to Zaid.

"What is going on?" Ron asked as Nike gently prodded Ginny's neck and shoulder.

"I don't know," Zaid answered. "You didn't see her up there?"

Ron quickly explained what had happened to him and Hermione and that they hadn't seen anyone else but each other.

"Nike, do you know what happened to her?" Athena asked as she too knelt down next to Ginny.

"Yes, it looks like a vampire bite."

They all gasped again and they heard Apollo curse before he pulled out his bow and an arrow from the basket on his back.

"Have any of you seen or heard anything out of the ordinary?" Apollo asked them as he circled around, his bow aimed in the distance.

"No, not except for seeing everyone disappear," Hermione answered, silent tears rolling down her eyes as she stared at Ginny.

"Who else is missing from your group?"

"Just George and Harry," Ron answered, his arm around Hermione.

Apollo nodded. "What do they look like?"

"Harry is tall, but shorter than I am, he's got black hair and green eyes and George is my brother, red hair and freckled."

Apollo nodded again and set off around the cabin, towards the darker part of the forest. While he went on the hunt, Nike was still examining Ginny. She turned towards Athena and said, " 'Ena, I need holy water to get this infection down, do you have any?"

She nodded and sprinted towards the cabin and then disappeared into it. Nike turned towards Zaid and Ron and gestured them over.

"I'm going to need you two to hold her down, this is going to be painful and that pain should make her regain consciousness. She's going to struggle like hell," she finished, as she gently straddled Ginny's lower back, effectively pinning her to the ground.

Zaid and Ron nodded and Zaid took hold of her limp arms and Ron went to her legs. Athena came back out with an old crystal bottle and handed it to her cousin before kneeling down beside Hermione. Nike took a deep breath before pouring a few drops of the water onto the red skin. Instantly there was a reaction, the water boiled on her skin and Ginny jerked up with a cry, trying to wiggle her way out.

"Hold her down!" Nike yelled as she was almost thrown off of Ginny by her thrashing.

Ginny stilled slightly, her eyes dazed and also wild with pain. Nike took this opportunity and poured a greater amount of the holy water onto her neck. Ginny screamed and struggled harder as she sobbed hysterically. The skin seemed to bubble and the water upon it sizzled as Nike struggled to hold back her tears. To the side Hermione was still crying a little and was trying to talk to Ginny, telling her everything was going to be okay and next to her Athena was looking grimly at the scene.

Nike stopped and looked up into Zaid's bloodshot, wide eyes and watched as he shook from head to foot, shaken by the screams. Behind her she could hear Ron gasping for breath as his sister kicked out. Nike, praying all the while, poured the last bit of water onto the skin and let out a breath that she hadn't known she'd been holding when the skin lost its red color and the swelling went down.

The woman beneath her stopped screaming but was still crying when she climbed off of her and dropped the now empty crystal bottle onto the ground, watching as Ginny curled up into a tight ball.

"Harry, I need Harry," she gasped, as Hermione rushed over to her and rubbed her back.

"Get her into the cabin, quick," Nike said.

Ron picked her up gently and they followed Athena into the cabin. He laid her down on one of the sofas while Nike turned to Athena.

"I'm going to go find Apollo, if I'm not back in three hours, leave without me."

Athena nodded and pulled a role of bandage out of the trunk at the other side of room and started to bandage Ginny's neck. Nike stopped at the door and turned back towards Ginny and then walked over to her.

"Did you see the vampire that bit you? Was there only one?"

Ginny opened her eyes to look at her and opened her mouth to speak. "There was only one," she began, her voice hoarse, "but it didn't look like it should have."

"What do you mean?" Nike asked, alarmed.

Ginny took in a deep breath and said, "it looked like Harry, but it couldn't have been him. It was impossible, there hadn't been enough time for a vampire to turn him or anything."

"Has your friend ever been bitten before?" Nike asked Ron.

"No, never."

"Right then, I'll be back 'Ena," she finished and turned back towards the door and had almost reached it when Zaid took her wrist gently, his wand in his hand.

"I'm going with you," he stated.

"You can't, I'm going by air."

"I can fly, I have a broom stashed in my pack," he said, turning towards his left-behind pack and picked it up, pulling out a magically shrunken broomstick. He quickly enlarged it and rejoined Nike by the door.

She looked at him strangely but said nothing as she opened the door and held it open for him to follow her out.

"How exactly do you expect to fly that thing," she asked, pointing at the broom in his hands.

"Wizards can fly charmed brooms," he said, as he mounted it and kicked off of the ground, showing her how he hovered several feet off of the ground.

She was able to crack a little grin and nod before she grabbed her bow from her back and joined him in the air. They flew in the direction that Apollo had left and found him ten minutes later, deep in the trees. They landed next to him as he looked up in surprise at their sudden arrival.

"Any sign?" Nike asked, her bow still at her side.

"Yes," Apollo started, pointing towards the wet earth, "there are tracks here, leading off into that general direction," he finished, now pointing to the left a little. "Other then that there haven't been any other tracks. How's the girl?"

"Better, shaken but there shouldn't be any lasting affects. If there are vampires here then I think we should leave as soon as possible, so we're going to split up so that you can hunt down the vamp and we'll look for the others. I'll send up a signal if I find anything."

Apollo nodded and kept going to the left, following the tracks that had been pressed into the soil.

"How good is he at this hunting business?" Zaid asked as Apollo disappeared from view.

Nike looked at him with a small smile. "The best, except for his sister Artemis."

They both took off into the air and separated once they were over the trees. She looked at him and it clearly said "be careful" before veering off to the right. Zaid turned around back the way they had just come. He flew back over the cabin and then across the lake, watching for any movement on the shore. He reached the other side and started making circles around and around, the circles growing larger with every pass, his eyes focused on the ground.

He heard a shout and looked down to the left and saw Potter emerge from the trees near the shore. He was waving him down. But remembering what Ginny had said he was hesitant and he descended slowly. He wished he knew him better so that he could ask him a question only he would know, to verify his identity. He searched his mind and finally came up with one suitable.

"When we left Orkney, who did I share a broom with?" Zaid asked him, still several feet from him.

Harry thought for just a second before answering. "You flew with Ron."

Thankful that he had answered correctly, Zaid landed next to him.

"What's going on?" Harry asked him.

Zaid quickly recounted all that had happened with Ginny and the mysterious look-alike vampire that had attacked her. Harry's face quickly went pale and then green with horror at his story. Both of them quickly swung their legs over the broom and kicked hard off of the ground, the combined effort sending them high up into the air. They sped towards the cabin and reached it in only a matter of seconds. Harry dismounted and ran to the door, trying to open it but finding it locked. Athena opened it after a minute and ushered him in, Zaid now right behind him.

"Where are Nike and Apollo?" Athena asked him as Harry rushed to Ginny.

"We split up after we found Apollo, he thinks he's found the vampire's tracks and was hunting him down when we left him. I'm going to go find Nike now, I'll be back," he said, and with that he left again, souring up into the air and flying over the same bit of forest that they had before.

He flew slowly, looking for any sign of Apollo, Nike, or George. After ten minutes of flying, he didn't see any of the three and a terrible feeling of dread was filling him. He had been certain that he would have seen Nike by now, after all she traveled by air and could be easily seen. It was then that he heard the faint, distant screaming and his heart stopped all together as he looked around for the source. The screaming started again but it seemed to come from all around, from above him and below him. He couldn't tell if it was male's or female's but he knew it meant trouble. He streaked towards the ground and grazed along the treetops, straining his ears for any sound. He heard it then, the rustling of something in the underbrush beneath him.

His heart beating fast, he descended slowly and hovered six or so feet above the ground as something wrestled its way out of a great mass of bushes. He was shocked by what he saw when it emerged. It was a terrible, horrific looking beast, part beast and part human. It appeared to be injured and was dragging itself along, it's yellow eyes wild with madness. He'd seen these too many times not to know what it was; it was the wolf-things that the vampires had created for Voldemort. They were the ultimate killing machines and created from evil so terrible to really comprehend. He still had nightmares of the muggle and magical women being chained to the floor and then raped on the full moon by the werewolves that Voldemort had employed. Their mouths were always muzzled to keep from biting and killing the women but little else was done and they were left to rape and cut the women as they wished. He had helped the women, tried to protect them as much as he could without being detected, but in the end he could do little and it still killed him inside. More than once he had thought of taking his own life to get away from it.

The thing screamed and he realized that had been the screaming he had heard earlier and was relieved to know it hadn't been Nike. Shaking now from the memories he pointed his wand at it and killed it quickly.

Wondering how Voldemort had gotten it into this strange land he took off again but did not go above the treetops but stayed amongst the trees, slowly zig-zagging around them. He somehow felt that there was something here, something close by. The thought nagged at him and he flew faster, taking unimaginable risks as he narrowly missed smashing into the trees.

Ahead of him there was a towering stone structure and it almost reached to the tops of the trees. He slowed and came towards it slowly, instinctively knowing that this was where the wolf-thing had come from. This place looked ancient but there were fresh tracks around the area, both beast and human. He circled the tower and found the entrance; it faced the general direction of the lake. Hoping Apollo or Nike were near he pointed his wand up to the sky and set off red sparks high into the air. He knew this place held something important, he could feel it in his very gut and in his bones. He just knew it.

* * *

George had been pondering the wonders of the universe (you see he had little else to do) when the funny looking winged woman had found him. She seemed rather annoyed at him for getting lost and told him so with a few cutting words. She explained to him who she was, where they were, why everyone had disappeared, and she also told him about Ginny and the vampire who had attacked her.

Since George had no way to fly they set off on foot back towards the cabin. They were only about two miles from the cabin so Nike figured they could get there in a timely manner as long as they moved quickly. They'd been traveling for only 10 minutes or so when Nike saw the red sparks fly into the sky. They were far into the distance (about another mile or so to the right) and she knew that they had been sent by Zaid.

"Keep going down this path and you should reach the cabin, if you get lost, send up the same sparks," she said but was stopped from leaving by George's raised hand.

"I can get us there faster if we apparate. I saw where the sparks came from so I can get us there easily," he stated.

"Wait just a second. If you can apparate, then why didn't you just apparate back to the cabin?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because," he started to explain, sounding like he was explaining this to a small child, "I wasn't sure where the cabin was, but I saw the sparks' origin, it should be easy."

Nike looked doubtful but agreed when George showed her how he could apparate around her, the loud cracks filling the air. He took her hand and concentrated on where he wanted to go and with that they disappeared and then reappeared two miles away, smack dab on top of Zaid who had still been hovering on his broom. The combined weight of three people caused the broom to fall to the ground and with a loud, resounding thump all three of them fell hard. Zaid, who was dazed and confused watched as Nike cursed vehemently and then hit George across the head.

"Are you crazy? You could have killed us!" she yelled as she hit him again.

"You crazy woman get off of me," George cried out as he rolled away from her, trying to protect himself from any further blows. "I got us where you wanted us to go, it's not my fault I did it so well that we fell on him."

Mumbling under her breath, Nike stood up and then helped Zaid to his feet.

"Did you find Potter?" she asked him.

"I found him on the other side of the lake and I came back to find you. I was a bit too far to the east though I think because I missed you entirely, but I did find this," he replied, pointing towards the tower.

"Holy flying fuck," George breathed as he turned around and was met by the tower's west wall and a large statue of a stone gargoyle type creature with a long, sleek tail of a serpent and the naked torso of a beautiful woman.

Nike pulled George away and stared at the thing with wide, frightened eyes.

"This is not good…" they heard her mutter as she reached for her sword.

"Nike what is it?"

"This is a statue of Lamia, if someone put this here then it can only mean death and danger for those who enter," she said, solemnly, her eyes still upon the statue and her hand still on the hilt of her sword.

George looked at Zaid and made eye contact as both of them shrugged. "Er, what's a Lamia?" George asked.

"Lamia isn't an object, but a monster, a terrible monster who was once just a normal woman who was cursed by Hera for having an affair with Zeus. She was forced to eat her own children and then as years passed she developed a taste for human blood and began to eat children other than her own," Nike said, shivering with the horror of it.

"Why would anyone put a statue of her here?" Zaid asked, taking her arm and pulling her backwards and away from it, somehow expecting it to suddenly come to life and attack them all.

"Whoever has placed this statue here is clearly trying to scare anyone off or perhaps to mark this tower as evil. Whatever this place is, we should not be here," she replied, her hand still on her sword, ready at any moment to strike.

As she said this though the statue moved and its mouth opened, revealing a long line of sharp, pointed teeth, and then it spoke with a distinctly feminine, soft voice.

"_Come join me and you will find what you seek…what you want can be given to you, there is no price but to enter the depths of my tower. You may find blood and the stench of death but within will be the thing you want most. If you dare to enter, you will be given what you seek, no matter from what world or from what realm, I will give you this gift." _

And with that final word the statue was still and it spoke no more. The moment the statue had moved Nike had unsheathed her sword and had it was almost resting on the statue's neck, ready to lop it off. All three of them were breathing fast and were staring at the statue in shock. The forest was eerily still and there was not even a breath of wind to move the leaves of the trees.

Then, very suddenly, everything happened at once, it started with a whispering, a strangled calling of a name and then George was sprinting towards the tower, his legs pumping fast. He was crying out a name as he went, neither Nike nor Zaid knew the name and could only watch as he neared the tall, dark tower.

"_Fred, I'm coming!"_ he cried desperately, his voice choked with emotion.

"No!" Nike cried as he disappeared into the tower.

He was gone and again everything was silent and still, there were no more whisperings or shouts to fill the forest, just emptiness. Even though Nike hated to do it, even though a sense of dread was filling her, she and Zaid rushed in after him.

* * *

While George, Zaid, and Nike were risking life and limb, Athena was pacing around and around in her small cabin, the same feeling of dread filling her that had just filled Nike.

"Something's wrong, something doesn't feel right," Athena muttered as she paced.

"This whole place doesn't feel right," Ron stated as he glanced out the window again, looking for anyone who could be returning.

Ginny had fallen asleep against Harry's shoulder, and was now fast asleep. Hermione had helped Athena pack up her various belongings while Ron had kept watch, his wand at the ready.

"No, something is very wrong," she said again, with more conviction this time.

At that moment there came a knock on the door.

" 'Ena, it's me, open up," Apollo called from the other side of the door.

At the nod from Athena, Ron opened the door, and let Apollo in. Athena gave a little shriek at his appearance that woke up Ginny. He was covered in dried sticky blood and dirt.

"Don't worry it's not mine," he reassured Athena at her terrified look. "I found the vampire, it was already slaughtered when I got to it, and I mean slaughtered. Its insides were spread out around the corpse and his head had been cut off."

"Did you carry the corpse here?" Athena asked, pointing at the blood.

"No, not the vampire but a mile or so away from it, I found this," he replied, opening the door wide and showing them the hairy monster that he had dumped there. It too was dead.

Hermione and Ginny gasped, recognizing it instantly as one of the wolf-things. Ron and Harry's eyes widened and they looked between the two women.

"What is it Hermione?" Athena asked her, her face pale.

Hermione explained about the monsters that the vampires had created for Voldemort and then Ginny told them exactly how they were created, her face pale as she did so. Athena looked green in the face but did not back down as she stared upon the creature. Her mind raced and the feeling of dread only intensified. If this kind of evil had entered this magical realm, that until now had been void of any evil, then it could only mean grave danger. They must find the others, and they had to do it before it was too late.

"There was something else I saw, while I was going down the mountain after finding the creature, I saw red sparks fly into the air. I was more than half way down so I didn't turn back."

"Where did you see the sparks?" she asked, leaving her little cabin and walking outside with Apollo, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny.

Apollo pointed up towards the flat face of mountain where Zaid had shot the sparks earlier. Athena's heart plummeted down to her stomach and she quickly hurried back through the door and came out moments later bedecked in shiny armor. There was a golden helmet upon her head and strapped to her arm there was a large shield with the image of Medusa's severed head at the center. In her hands she held two swords, the one she had given Harry and another for herself. She handed Harry his and turned to all of them.

"There is something on that mountain that is more evil than anything else in this world or the next. I have been watching as Voldemort gains strength and I have known that there was a possibility that he would go after this evil and try to take it as his own. Until now there was no evil in this land besides the tower of Lamia," she explained. "Those sparks came from the direction of that tower; I cannot help but think that they were related to that. I do not think that Nike knows of it, I have not told her about it, thinking that it would be best if as few people know as possible, and I should be the only being in Brodgar who knows of it."

"What do we do?" Harry asked, his eyes going towards the mountain.

"The only thing to do is go up there. I just hope that no one has gone inside, if they have then it could mean catastrophe."

* * *

The tower, was just that, a tower. It didn't look particularly foreboding from the outside (besides the creepy feeling that he got looking at it). It looked very much like the Irish round towers, built in early medieval times that dotted the island. While the outside wasn't particularly frightening, the inside was horrific, and nightmarish. The walls were slimy and cold and every few feet there would chains and shackles, and the walls covered with old stains of blood.

From the entrance there were two stairways, one going down, beneath the earth and then the other going up to the tower's tip. The inside was made of the same grayish stone as the outside and in several places it looked scarred, like someone had taken a sharp tool and had written their name upon it.

Nike and Zaid descended lower down the spiraling staircase and called for George all the while, hoping that they would get an answer back, none came. Zaid had his wand firmly in his hand, holding it so tightly that his black knuckles were white. Nike's sword was also at the ready; she looked particularly vulnerable with just her tunic and loose skirt and so much of her pale skin visible. But she also looked strong with the sword in her hand and it seemed perfectly natural for her to be holding it.

"Tell me about this Lamia, why was this building placed here?" he asked her, breaking the silence, and his words echoing around them.

"Lamia is one of the most infamous monsters of Greece, right next to Medusa. Like I told you before she was cursed to eat her own children and then began to eat other children. She's something like a vampire, but worse. Her story was told to the young children of Greece to keep them behaving. She also had a ravenous sexual appetite and could be vicious with her lovers, feeding off the men that lay with her. She was gloriously beautiful and could seduce any man with just a glance, that it why she is even worse than a vampire. A vampire will hunt but generally it is not cunning enough to compel someone to willingly follow them to their lair. They take by brunt force. And I had no idea this structure was even here," she finally finished.

Zaid nodded but said nothing more as they continued down what was becoming an endless staircase. It was becoming darker and darker as they went and so with a "_Lumos_," Zaid lighted his wand. The blood upon the walls was becoming more and more prominent and he felt a shiver go up his spine at the sight of a centuries old skeleton crumpled against the wall.

"I think we're almost to the bottom," Nike whispered as the air became staler and mustier.

After another minute they had in fact come out on the bottom and they had the dilemma of figuring out which one of five tunnels George had gone through. The ceiling was low and both of them had to bend almost double. The air had become ever mustier and Zaid could now smell the distinctive stench of unknown decay as he watched large rats scuttle around the corner, scared off by the light of his wand.

"George! Dammit George answer me!" she yelled, her voice echoing loudly down the five tunnels.

She squatted down and looked down upon the floor. There was a thick layer of dust and dirt upon the stone floor and she studied it hard.

"We have a problem," she stated as she stood back up and looked down the middle tunnel.

"What?" he asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"There's definitely two sets of tracks going down that tunnel, there is none going down the others. Both of them are fresh, there could be somebody else down here."

"Lovely."

Having no other option, they started down the middle tunnel. The rats seemed to be even more prominent down that particular tunnel and Zaid was glad that Nike seemed to be utterly unfazed by the scurrying rodents. He didn't know if he could deal with a screaming, hysterical woman as well as an evil tower.

The only noise was their own breathing and footsteps and the steady _drip_, _drip_ of dirty, brown water down slimy stone walls. Zaid was somehow expecting something to happen, something to jump out at them. But nothing happened. There was just the silence that seemed to press down upon their ears. He felt almost like he wished something would happen because the suspense of waiting was surely going to drive him insane.

In just a second he would wish that he had never even thought that as suddenly the floor beneath his feet disappeared and was replaced by a deep pool of cold, thick red liquid. He heard Nike scream before he sunk all of the way down and the red liquid enveloped him completely. With a feeling of great sickness he realized that the pool was full of cold blood. Even though his lips were tightly closed, he could somehow taste the metallic bitterness of the blood on his tongue, it was possibly one of the worst things he had ever experienced.

The pool was about eight to ten feet deep and had a diameter of three feet so he felt himself touch the bottom a few seconds later and had to struggle to swim his way back up. It was just so thick…. He felt Nike's slim hands grasp his arm through the blood and help him out, her face once again pale with horror. The blood clung to him and he looked little like himself as he crawled out of pool, shaking terribly.

"Oh God, oh God," Nike uttered as she pulled him away from it.

Thankfully his now blood covered wand was still clutched tightly in his hand, and he was glad he had kept hold of it; otherwise he would have been weaponless. His hand shaking he cleaned himself with spells and charms, but even though he tried hard to get all of it out it still seemed to cling to him. He retched on the floor and was horrified to find that he had swallowed some of it, he could tell from the distinctly pink hue of what used to be the contents of his stomach. He couldn't remember feeling sicker.

Suddenly her slim arms were around him, hugging him tightly as he felt her hot tears against his clammy neck. He was leaning against her, both of them sitting on the floor with her back against the stone wall and his back against her torso. He couldn't seem to stop shaking.

"You're okay, you're okay," she kept muttering to him, her mouth close to his ear, seeming to try to reassure herself of the fact.

He was glad for her warmth and leaned even farther into her. After what seemed like forever (in reality it was only five or ten minutes) they got up and were somehow able to continue on. This time they watched their step closely and were horrified to find four more of these pools along the way. They didn't know the purpose of these pools but both knew it was something sinister, whatever it was.

After the last pool they came across a fork in the tunnel and Nike once again crouched down to examine the dirty floor. The two sets of tracks led strait ahead so they continued on, holding on to each others arms as they walked, scared that something else would happen.

Finally the tunnel widened slowly and then opened out into a huge underground cavern. From the ceiling dangled a huge chandelier in the form of a huge stone woman laying flat on her back. In her middle there was a large mound of straw and wood that when lighted when undoubtedly light the whole cavern.

"Should we?" he asked her, pointing towards the chandelier.

Nike just nodded.

"_Incendio_," Zaid said softly and the bunch of dried grass and wood burst into flame.

Even though the cavern was now lighted, no smoke seemed to escape from the fire as it burned brightly. The two of them looked around and Nike let out a gasp at the great depth of the wide open space. It was at least 100 feet down to the bottom and the only way down was an old wooden ladder. They were just about to start their way down when they heard multiple footsteps coming down the tunnel. With their hearts thudding, they ducked as far into the shadows as they could get, Zaid ready to fire any curse. As the people came into the light, they were both shocked to see Hermione, Ron, Harry, Apollo, and Athena coming towards them.

" 'Ena?" Nike asked as she slowly stood up and pulled Zaid with her.

"Nike! Oh thank the heavens!" Athena cried out as she rushed to hug her friend. "What's happened tell us everything."

Both Zaid and Nike explained all that had happened since they had arrived at the tower and the statue of Lamia speaking to them. They all noticeably paled when they heard of George's reaction.

"He cried out Fred?" Ron croaked, running his hand agitatedly through his too-long red hair.

"Yes, we didn't know what it meant," Zaid replied.

"Fred's one of my brothers and George's twin. He's been dead for a little bit more than a year. They never found his body," Ron muttered, looking uncomfortable.

They were all silent for a moment before it was broken by Zaid. "Where's Ginny?"

"We left her at the cabin, she was still too weak to go, she wasn't too happy about it," Harry answered.

The seven of them looked over the edge of the tunnel and started to go down the ladder one by one, each of them waiting for the other to get to the bottom before the next started down. Even though the ladder was old it held their individual weight adequately and soon each of them was gathered at the bottom. They looked around and were relieved to see that there was now only one tunnel leading out of the cavern, they wouldn't have to play any guessing games on which way George had gone.

If they had thought that the pools of blood and the rats had been bad enough but when they reached the tunnel they were met by the overwhelming stench of death. They covered their mouths and noses with their sleeves and continues onward, their eyes watering from the smell.

As they traveled down the tunnel with the rest of them he was reminded of what the statue had said: _"You may find blood and the stench of death but within will be the thing you want most."_ The sentence seemed to ring in his ears and he realized that they were coming to the end of the tunnel and that there was a light ahead. The others noticed it too and they all clutched their weapons tighter.

Zaid realized with a jolt that just two hours ago he had been lying in bed with Nike. Had it only been two hours? It felt like he had been down in the belly of that evil tower for days. So many things had so suddenly changed that it felt that he had lived an entire lifetime in that strange, magical land of Brodgar. He knew what was coming before they even reached the room. Their fate, their very lives were going to be decided in this very room. His heart beat like crazy thunder within in his chest and he reached for Nike's hand, needing to feel her skin against his. This was it.

They came out into the room and they took in many things at once. It was a large, circular room with another statue of Lamia right in the middle of the room. At the statue's base lay a human figure, his body naked and still except for the occasional twitch and shiver. His hair was fiery red but it appeared dull with time and dirt. His ribs were clearly visible and he looked to be on the brink of death by starvation. Fifteen feet away from this man's body lay his twin brother. George was unconscious but fully clothed. Zaid could see blood on his forehead and in his hair.

"FRED!" Ron cried, and like George had done just 10 minutes ago he rushed towards his brother but when he came within four feet of the statue and Fred he was thrown backwards by an invisible force. He was thrown high up in the air and if it hadn't been for Hermione's quick cushioning charm he would have ended up the same way as George, his head thrown against the hard stone wall.

As Hermione rushed to Ron who was unhurt, Harry went to George, and turned him over. George was breathing and other than the wound on his head he appeared unharmed.

"He's alive!" Harry cried to the rest of the room.

"Move over," Nike ordered as she placed her hand on George's cheek.

She ran her hand down his jaw line and then back up, just brushing his red hair. And then, as gently as possible, she ran her hand over his scalp, her eyes focused on him. "I think his scull is cracked but the wound itself is just a scrape. There's too much pressure on his brain."

Suddenly Hermione was there and kneeling down by his head. "I can heal him, I know the right spell," she said, her voice cracking with feeling, but her hand was steady as she placed the very tip of her wand on George's scalp and with her eyes closed she started the spell.

She was muttering low under her breath and soon the tip of her wand and the skin surrounding it was glowing blue. The wound closed and then the bruise that had started to form disappeared. She continued the spell even as George awoke and looked at all of them confusedly before realization dawned on his freckled face. He struggled to sit up but was held down as Hermione continued her work. And then, finally, she was finished and moved her wand away from him before collapsing with exhaustion against Ron.

While Hermione, Ron, Harry, Nike, and Zaid clustered around George, Athena was circling the invisible wall that stood between them and Fred. She was testing it with her sword every foot or so, looking for any week spots in it. If it was touched by human skin, it was designed to immediately throw the person back, but she could thrust her sword inside the wall all the way to the hilt. Fred continued to shiver and twitch and she watched his erratic, far too-slow breathing. They had to get him out and they had to get him out now.

As Zaid helped George to his feet, they watched as Athena pulled her helmet down over her face and charged at the invisible wall. The shield with Medusa's head glinting in the light that filtered down through the holes in the ceiling as she did so. She hit the wall, shield to invisible force creating a loud cracking sound in the room that echoed off the walls. She put her entire weight against the shield and felt as it burned hot against her arm, the contact with the wall heating it. She broke away from it and backed up a few feet farther than before and charged again, a war cry wrenched from her lips as she hit the wall again, the force of it seeming to make the whole room vibrate. Again she pulled away from the wall and backed up. More determined then ever to get through.

"Lamia, by the power of your lover Zeus, I command you to open this wall," she shouted as she once again charged.

The force of the collision caused the whole room to shake violently and for the other seven to hold onto the stone walls.

"I command for this wall to be opened!" she shouted again, pushing with everything she had. She pushed with every muscle and every power she had.

"I command it!"

The carving of Medusa's head glowed red upon the shield and then with a terrible burst of magical energy, Medusa's head glowed black and then Athena was flying across the room. She fell with a thud upon the floor but it had not flown her far enough to hit one of the walls. The invisible wall that separated Fred from the rest imploded upon it self with a loud bang and just like that it had disappeared.

While Nike helped Athena to stand, Ron and George rushed to Fred and effortlessly picked him up, he weighed practically nothing. The moment Fred was carried away from the statue, it began to shift and open wide. The statue itself was opening and from it crawled a scarily beautiful woman. Her hair was long and golden blonde and it fell down her back and down her soft, pale shoulders, partly concealing her round, pert breasts. But from the belly-button down she became something ugly and inhuman. Her bottom half was the long thick tail of a black serpent.

While everyone watched Lamia crawl from her own statue (weapons at the ready), Hermione knelt down by the unconscious Fred and conjured a large, fluffy blanket out of thin air and wrapped it around his naked form. And then all hell broke loose. Spells flew and swords swung as Lamia slivered towards them, faster then anyone thought possible. Hermione curled her body around Fred's, trying to protect him from any wayward spells.

After a minute or so of fierce fighting they had restrained Lamia to the ground, unable to move by the sword sticking from her middle, effectively pinning her.

"He will kill you all!" the thing shrieked, blood pouring from the wound. "_He_ will be victorious, then you will bow before him, and blood will be drained from you! He cannot—," but before she could finish her tirade Harry had swung his sword high up into the air and had brought it down upon her graceful neck, slicing it cleanly.

"No, he won't," he muttered, his face hard and set as Lamia's severed head rolled away from her body.

Athena lifted her helmet, revealing her pretty yet sweaty face, and said, "we have made the first blow, the war has started in the land of Brodgar but it will end in the land called earth."

And with those final words, they left that evil tower and made their way back to Athena's cabin, many of them bloody and bruised. They arrived and were greeted by Ginny who was stunned by the sight of her long-thought dead brother. Tears poured down her face as they recounted their hair-raising story. They left the land of Brodgar less than 20 minutes later, Athena, Apollo, and Nike in tow. They waded back out to the middle of the large lake; Fred was still unconscious so he was held by his brothers, his head kept above the water. They were lifted by invisible hands high up into the air and then just like that they disappeared, back to the world they called home.

As they rose into the air, a dark figure watched them from the edge of the forest, his red eyes burning. In the fray they had forgotten about the second set of tracks that Nike had seen leading to George. He strode out of the forest and followed in their footsteps. He too swam out to the middle of the lake and was raised into the air, and he too disappeared.

* * *

**A/N: This is dedicated to steff (aka knifethrowastarr) for being the biggest twins fan I know. **

**I Love those reviews and each of them spur me on to write more and write faster. Thanks!**


	31. Fred

**Chapter 31: Fred**

Armies marched for the first time that day. Wizards and witches did little to hide themselves as they began to travel along the muggle roads; they carried baggage, weapons, and hard faces. A few were brave enough, or stupid enough to take children with them, thinking that perhaps they would all be safer with their parents than left alone in a cavern. The muggles hid in their homes and locked the door, not wanting to know what was happening, not wanting to face the inevitable. They ignored the armies, they ignored what was right in front of their faces.

Death Eaters marched too, killing all that happened to stray upon their moving army. They moved up from the south, some were able to apparate, others could not. Vampires marched too with their creatures and the evil that followed them like a fog. At the end of their march would be the small village of John o' Groats, now muggle-less and overrun with the rebellion.

Rumors spread like wildfire about the rebel army. Death Eaters pushed aside the tale of the Greek Gods who fought with them, pushed aside the tale of a man, a brother, once thought dead but now miraculously alive. They shouldn't have. The vampires whispered, Athena? Apollo? Nike? Unrest began, as it does with all armies and wars. Death Eaters fought for control and ultimately lost some of it. Vampires began to run, knowing that at the end of the march rested their inevitable destruction by the Goddess that had always promised it. The vampires that stayed were the ones that hungered for the blood of war the most.

In John o' Groats the rebellion waited.

* * *

Hermione walked softly as she neared the room. George sat outside the door, his head in his arms, his shoulders shaking. Fred was finally awake and Hermione had rushed down from the training area as quick as she could, hoping and praying that Fred would be alright. It had been a week since they had found him in the strange land of Brodgar and for that week Fred had stayed in an unconscious state, his body heeling.

"George?" Hermione whispered, kneeling down beside him.

He lifted his head and looked at her, his eyes were swollen and red from sobbing and Hermione's heart ached.

"He doesn't know any of us," he croaked, "my own twin didn't know my name."

Hermione felt a tear slide down her cheek as she hugged George tightly. She had wondered if perhaps amnesia would be a possibility or maybe even a memory charm. They still didn't know what had happened to Fred and his reappearance was still something of a mystery.

Hermione didn't know what to say so she just continued to hold him. She heard footsteps behind her and she turned to meet whoever was approaching. It was Ron, Harry, and Athena.

"Is he really awake?" Ron asked, his eyes concerned as he gazed upon his brother.

George nodded and pulled out of Hermione's arms, getting to his feet and drying his eyes on the collar of his shirt. "He is, but he doesn't know us. Dad is still trying to figure out if it's a charm or if he has amnesia. He and the mediwizard are still in there with him, running some tests."

Ron nodded and disappeared into the room at the inn that had been designated just for Fred. Hermione wanted to follow but her feet couldn't seem to move as she placed her hand on George's arm. "Are you going to be alright?" she asked, noting his shaking hand.

"I'll be fine," he answered, looking away from her and down the hallway. "There's nothing I can do now, just wait. I'm going to go back up with Andrea, she's helping the troops."

Hermione nodded and watched him go. With Harry and Athena behind her she walked into the dimly lit room. Fred was in bed, his lower half covered with a sheet. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be asleep again. Molly stood beside the bed, holding her son's hand; her eyes were red from the tears she had shed and Hermione had to hold back her own tears. Arthur and the young mediwizard leaned over Fred, running their wands over him. Ginny sat in a chair, watching the proceedings, her hands gripping the arms of the chair tightly; Ron stood next to her. Hermione walked forward and stopped to stand next to Ron, she held out her hand and he took it, holding it tightly.

Athena stopped next to her and watched the mediwizard. She stepped forward and touched the mediwizard's arm, silently asking for permission to step stand beside him. The young man nodded.

"What have you found?" she asked quietly.

The wizard shook his head and stood up strait, his eyes troubled. "I am sorry Mr. Weasley but these tests don't seem to be giving us any concrete answers. From the look of things though I would say it wasn't any sort of charm that caused the memory loss, instead it looks to be from trauma. If it was a charm there is a possibility that I could remove it and the memories would return but if it is natural, just from trauma than I could cause more harm than good," he stated, finishing with a shrug and a glance back towards Fred.

"But will he ever get his memory back?" Mrs. Weasley asked, giving Fred's limp hand a squeeze.

The wizard nodded. "As the he regains his strength it is probable that they will come back to him, but it could be a slow process and a painful one. I am sorry I couldn't do anything more for him. When he wakes up again give him some food, not to much, and some water but I would recommend not pressuring him, he's in a fragile state right now."

And with one final nod of the head he was gone. Mrs. Weasley sighed and sat back down in a chair, her face lined and weary. She looked up to her husband and blinked back tears.

"I was so certain that he could help," she whispered, letting go of Fred's hand to wipe a wisp of grey hair away from her face.

Athena cleared her throat and placed a hand on Molly's shoulder. "The wizard knew what he was doing but like all things in this world, powers are limited. I believe that if you would allow me to take a look at him that I could get his memories back," she stated, watching Arthur's expression change as she spoke.

"Of course you can, what ever will help," Molly answered, looking hopeful.

Athena walked around to the other side of the bed and sat on the edge of it. She placed a steady hand on Fred's forehead and began to speak softly, her voice thick with a sudden accent. She was speaking ancient Greek, the words soft and smooth, rolling off her tongue like slowly moving water. Fred's eyes flickered and opened slowly, his blue eyes clear and bright as he stared up at the woman above him. He didn't move until Athena's words became stronger, as if she was working harder as she pulled something from the depths of his mind. Suddenly he flinched and whimpered as he attempted to move away from the hand on his forehead.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in English, but still the hand on his forehead did not waver.

She stopped speaking altogether and instead she began to stare into his eyes intently.

_I know it hurts but the pain is over now. Your family is here, the family who never dared hope that you were still alive, but you're here now, and you're safe. _

He blinked and somehow registered what she was thinking.

_It's hard to remember, it's hard to accept what has happened, what you have gone through. I will help you in everyway I can, but you must remember, you must learn to heal. _

She closed her eyes and broke the connection that she had with Fred and turned her face towards the ceiling. She pictured the soft green hills of Greece that she had at one time known so well. She could nearly smell the sea, hear the gulls, and feel the spray of the ocean on her face.

"From the power of the land that I love, from the man I love, I ask what ever power is left on mountain of Olympus to please help heal this man," she murmured in Greek, knowing that a murmur, in this case, was as good as any yell.

Athena opened her eyes and watched as Fred closed his, falling back to sleep, this time a far more peaceful sleep.

"Did it not work?" Molly asked, looking confused as she took her hand from his forehead.

"Only time will tell. His mind has blocked the things that were done to him, blocked the pain that he endured. The words that I spoke will help him through it. I brought his memories forth and when he wakes up we will see if he accepts them or not. By all accounts I think she should do just fine, he just needs some help."

Molly nodded and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. Athens stood back up and stopped to stand next to Harry who was in turn standing next to Ginny.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked him quietly, pointing to the sword that was strapped to his hip.

Harry nodded absentmindedly and followed her out, back out to the training area where they had just come from. Ron sighed and followed them out, resting his hand on his mother's arm before exiting the room. Hermione gave Ginny's arm a squeeze before she walked over to Molly and gave her a hug, hoping it would bring some comfort to the woman. She walked out too, her heart heavy and her mind troubled.

She walked down the hallway wondering what she should do. She sighed and walked up the flight of stairs out of the large cellar of the inn and up to the ground floor. In the week that had passed the inn and indeed the town had changed tremendously. After the other wizards and witches began to arrive they started to charm the few muggles that lived there. So the town was empty except for the two large inns in town that were being used as barracks and all the muggles suddenly decided to go on long vacations. It had been a decision that was hard to make (intruding in their lives like that was a hard thing to live with) but in the end it was decided all around that it was for the best. Not only did the army need the room but the muggles would only be in danger.

Hermione entered what had once been a large dining room but was now a training room where they practiced spells and Harry and Athena practiced with the sword. In the middle of the large room Harry and Athena were sparring while many other people watched from the sidelines. She saw Zaid, Ron, and Nike leaning against the opposite wall, watching the proceedings. She walked carefully to them, making sure she didn't get too close to the flying swords. When she reached Ron threw his arm around and gave her a lopsided grin. She smiled back and leaned her head against him as they watched Harry dodge around the room, avoiding Athena's jabs with the sword and trying to make jabs of his own.

Harry was clearly faster than Athena, his seeker abilities still honed even though he hadn't played quidditch in years, but Athena was much better with a sword. As Hermione watched she noticed that the weapon looked like an extension of the Goddess's arm.

The crowd cheered when Harry ducked and rolled avoiding a horizontal slash from Athena's throne. He kicked out when he was still flat on his back and his feet connected with Athena's knees; she stumbled back but didn't fall. Hermione gasped when Harry jumped to his feet and slashed with the sword, hitting Athena's breastplate with a loud clank. She parried his next blow and dodged the one after that and kicked out with her feet, knocking his own feet out from under him. Harry landed flat on his back with a sickening thud and the sword flew from his hands, landing a few feet away from him.

Harry groaned and looked up as Athena approached him, her face red and her chest heaving. She placed the point of her sword against his chest and grinned. "You did very well Harry, I'm very impressed," she said as she sheathed her sword and held out a hand to help him to his feet.

"I still didn't do well enough," he replied taking her hand.

The crowd began to disperse and so Ron, Hermione, Zaid, and Nike walked forward.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked him, pointing to the blossoming bruise near his elbow.

He flexed his arm and nodded. "Just a bruise, no lasting damage." He turned to Zaid and spoke, "any word yet from the scouts?" he asked.

"Yeah, they just returned an hour ago. The Death Eaters are about four days away; some apparated already but they've been quiet, they're about fifteen miles down the coast, holed up in an old light house," he answered.

Before Harry could answer Nike continued. "I've been thinking about something. I haven't seen any of these Death Eaters yet or for that fact I have never dealt with a vampire before, I'd like to see they're made of. After all, it's best to know the enemy," she said, her thick Irish accent lilting over the word "vampire."

They all nodded in agreement.

"Did the scouts say how many Death Eaters had already arrived?" Harry asked.

"They think somewhere around twenty or maybe up to thirty. A local wizard said that that old light house has an old cellar, it was used originally for a bomb shelter during Grindlewald's war, so there could be some be some vampires hiding from the sun down there."

Nike looked intrigued and excited and Harry had to smile when she suddenly clutched Zaid's arm. "I really want to go kick some arse. I'm getting antsy just sitting here doing nothing," she uttered, and Harry had the impression that she would soon be jumping up and down.

"Kicking some arse sounds good but you shouldn't go alone, maybe we should gather up a small party and attack," Zaid answered, his eyes swiveling towards Harry.

"No," Nike stated firmly, tugging on his arm, "stealth would be better."

Zaid's jaw clenched and they all knew that there was a fight coming on but before he could say anything more Nike gave a small yelp. They all turned around and saw Alice standing there, an impish, albeit, guilty grin on her face and a white feather pinched between her fingers. Nike laughed and picked the little girl up, hugging her tightly.

"Pretty angel," the little girl breathed, staring at Nike with awe, and caressing the feather gently.

Nike laughed again and they all watched as Zaid's face changed. The hard lines disappeared and he took on a soft expression as he looked at Nike and the little girl. Harry turned his head when he heard hurried footsteps behind him and watched as Neville approached.

"Alice Marie Longbottom, I told you not runoff like that," Neville scolded, shaking his finger at his daughter.

"Oh she didn't hurt anything Neville," Nike said, grinning at the him, putting down the little girl.

"So, what are we going to do?" Nike asked them, again turning to the topic of the planned attack.

Zaid looked like all the fight had gone out of him and agreed rather quickly that stealth would be their best bet. It was decided that Ron, Zaid, Athena, and Nike and whoever else wanted to go, would go and that a surprise attack would be the most logical.

As dinner approached they all dispersed and a few headed to the kitchens to help out with the food preparation and others went to their rooms to get some rest. Harry walked up a few flights of stairs, his shirt still soaked with sweat and his legs tired. He wasn't used to this sort of hard physical exercise and it was taking its toll on his body but today had been better, today he had almost bested her. He liked Athena, she was calming presence amongst all of the chaos around them, but he so badly wanted to beat her. She had lit a fire under him and suddenly his drive to win, to be on top had been thrown into overdrive.

He opened the door to his room and put the sword down with the sheath on the bed while he peeled his shirt off of his grimy, wet skin. He threw it into the dirty clothes bin and walked into the loo, not bothering to shut the door behind him as he looked at himself in the mirror. Harry had never been overly concerned about his appearance before but he had to admit that he looked like shit after a training session with Athena. He took off the rest of his clothes, leaving them in a heap on the floor to pick up later as he got into the shower.

As he let the water beat down upon his face, he let his mind wander. He thought about Ginny, thinking about her was far better than thinking about the war so she was on his mind most of the time. But sometimes thoughts of Fred would creep into his mind. The Weasleys being the only real family he had ever known, Fred was just as much his brother as he was Ron's. He sighed and squeezed some soap onto a washcloth. Just as he was getting up a good lather he felt a sudden odd prickling sensation. He felt eyes upon him and he knew that he wasn't alone in the loo. He wished he had his wand with him as he turned his head and saw a blurry figure through the frosted glass. Just as he was about to act and turn fully, open the sliding glass door and attack when the door opened anyways with a bang.

Harry hated himself for it but he screamed. He expected to see a Death Eater or some other hated enemy but instead standing before him grinning widely and holding back laughter was Ginny.

"That wasn't funny!" he gasped, his tongue tingling with adrenalin.

Ginny laughed then, doubling over and holding her stomach as he frowned at her. "It isn't funny," he stated lamely, his skin cold from air coming into his once steamy shower.

She stopped laughing but still smiling she said: "I know I'm sorry I just couldn't resist, you should have seen the look on your face."

"Well if you're going to be like that, get in here," he said, grabbing hold of her wrist and tugging her inside.

She gasped when the water hit her full on the head and gasped again when he pressed her into the shower wall. He covered her mouth with his and began to tug up her soaking wet t-shirt. She didn't laugh much more after that.

* * *

He wasn't so hungry anymore, he wasn't hurting anymore, and the soft blanket against his skin reminded him of home. Was it another hallucination? But this seemed so real, so good that for a moment that he let himself believe it, until he realized that he couldn't be home, the Burrow no longer existed. The thought caused him to feel sick and he wondered once again how long the Death Eaters were going to keep him alive.

Fred opened his eyes and was met with a strange sight. The ceiling he was staring at was _painted_. It was a neutral cream color that he certainly wasn't used to looking at. His heart race increasing, he turned his head and gasped at what he saw; he was in a room, not in a cell. The walls were painted a soft blue and against one side of the wall, stacks of wine racks rested. The room also held a few more beds but he appeared to be along in the room until he turned his head the other way. He gasped and for a moment his throat felt constricted. His sister Ginny was asleep in a chair next to him. Her hair fell down her shoulders in a tumble, _it's longer than it was before_, he thought. She appeared older too though he thought, her face was free of baby fat and she just looked older…. How long had it been since he had last seen her? It had been at least two years.

He gulped hard and tried to sit up but he didn't seem to have the strength to do so. He settled back down and wondered how he had escaped or been rescued. He couldn't remember, no matter how long he tried to concentrate. Ginny looked so tired even in her sleep that he decided not to wake her just yet.

Fred wished that there was a window to look out of because he didn't know if it night or day. He hadn't felt the sun on his face in so long that he wondered what it would feel like. He groaned when he shifted in bed and pulled his arms out from the tightly tucked covers and looked at his wrists. The marks from the chains were still there but now they were very faint. His skin was pale and his bones still visible but perhaps they weren't as thin as they were before. He pulled up the sheet that covered his chest and looked down. He was naked.

He turned his head when he heard Ginny shift in her chair and make a little noise in her sleep. The book that she had been loosely holding in her lap slid onto the floor and fell with a soft thump but it didn't wake her up. A few moments later the door opened and a woman he didn't know walked in. She was tall and slim (but muscular) with spiky black hair and a round shaped face. She was dressed in a tight t-shirt that hugged small breasts and a pair of equally tight denim trousers, and on her feet, of all things, were a pair of American style cowboy boots with little silver colored details on the toes. She carried a tray with a cup and a tea pot and he recognized it immediately as his mum's old set that had at one time belonged to his great-great grandmother.

The woman walked farther into the room and set the tray down on the table that had been pulled up next to Ginny's chair. He watched as she placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder and shook it gently waking her with a softly murmured "Ginny." His sister's eyes flickered open and her head turned to see the person who had woken her. While Ginny did look in his direction, she did not notice his open eyes or the fact that he had shifted in bed.

"Oh, thank you Andrea," Ginny said once she had noticed the tray on the table.

"You're welcome," the woman whispered back patting Ginny on the shoulder.

Ginny took the cup and poured some of the hot tea into it and then added some of the sugar from the bowl on the tray. He watched as she took a sip and smiled at the woman (_Andrea, _Fred reminded himself). Ginny looked up and suddenly her eyes were locked with her brother's. She gasped and dropped the cup where it shattered on the floor, hot tea spilling over the highly polished wooden floors.

"Oh my God you're awake!" she cried, shooting to her feet and suddenly sprinting out of the room.

Fred watched her go, his eyebrows raised as she disappeared out of the room. He watched as Andrea's jaw dropped as she too watch Ginny leave quickly. She turned to him and blushed a little, looking awkward, confused, and hesitant. She walked to the chair that Ginny had just vacated and sat down, looking at him closely.

"Erm, hello," she said, clearing her throat and running her hand through her short hair.

"Hi," he replied, surprised at the croaky quality of his voice.

"How are feeling?" she asked.

Fred shrugged. "Fine I guess, I'm hungry," he stated.

"Well that's good, Ginny told me the last time you woke up you didn't want to eat anything," she replied, pointing her wand at the tray and giving it a little wave.

A sandwich and a glass of milk appeared on a plate and she handed him half of the sandwich after helping him to sit up. He would have liked the whole thing but he didn't say anything, he was grateful for any food he could get.

"I'd give all of it but Hermione told me that giving you too much could make you sick."

Fred nodded and took his first bite, closing his eyes in bliss as the food slid down his throat and hitting his nearly empty stomach.

"Ginny will be back in a minute she probably went to go get your family," she said, filling an empty silence.

He nodded again and took another bite. Andrea cleared her throat and fidgeted in her chair.

"Um, you do know who the woman was who was sitting here right?" she asked.

Fred turned his head to her and raised one eyebrow. "Yeah, why wouldn't I?" he asked, looking confused.

"You don't remember waking up?"

He shook his head and watched as she bit her lip, clearly wishing Ginny or someone else would come back.

"Well, uh, the last time you woke up, you couldn't remember anything," she muttered, looking uncomfortable.

It was then, for the first time, that he remembered the quiet murmurs in his head, reassuring him and making him remember. Suddenly George's hurt and confused face flashed through his mind. He could remember now the look on his twin's face when he hadn't known his family or even who he himself was. The memory made his heart clench and his stomach suddenly churn and he had to force the nest bite of sandwich down.

"I remember now," he whispered.

Andrea nodded and rubbed her thighs up and down as she turned her head to look towards the ajar door. He heard many footsteps on the stairs and his heart sped up when his mother charged into the room, her dressing gown billowing behind her. She nearly ran to the side of the bed and hugged him fiercely, sobbing into his neck.

He felt someone pull her gently back and suddenly his heart was too full to speak and words caught in his throat. His family and friends stood around him. His mum and dad stood side by side, tears on their cheeks. Ginny huffed and puffed beside them, her cheeks flushed from her running. Ron was their too, his arm around Hermione Granger who he hadn't seen in four years or so. George stood next to them looking hopeful but at the same time scared to death. The Order of the Phoenix was there too but there were some people he didn't know. There was a tall woman with wings standing next to large dark man. There was another woman, dressed in a grey-blue dress that fell just to her ankles. Her eyes were a pale green and suddenly he remembered those eyes looking into his own, he knew then that it had been her voice he had heard. That woman stepped forward and sat down on the edge of the bed, she was looking into his eyes again in a way that captivated him.

She took his hand and held it tightly in her own and reached her arm up and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead.

"Do you remember now Fred?" she asked him, her soft voice strong and steady.

He nodded and a rush of something magnificent filled him. Wherever he was, he knew he was home.


End file.
